Chapter 36: Senior and Junior

Inside the JYPE practice room, the Latin-infused music slowly faded out. Amidst the brisk and powerful percussive rhythm, Sullyoon finished her evening dance lesson.

Because her individual schedule, such as hosting *Music Bank*, often kept her busy during the day, she had been unable to practice in sync with her fellow members recently. To ensure the stage performance quality for the upcoming *Sonar (Breaker)* single and the *Fe3O4: BREAKER* mini-album, she had no choice but to come to the company alone at night for extra practice.

"Thank you for your hard work, everyone. Thank you for your guidance."

After bidding farewell to the dance instructors who had gathered specifically for her, Sullyoon sat exhaustedly in a corner of the practice room. She pulled a controller and a tablet from her bag, intending to use gaming to soothe the fatigue in her body.

"Knock, knock."

A crisp sound of knocking echoed at the door. Sullyoon looked up and saw TWICE’s Mina standing there. She started to stand up to welcome her, but Mina gestured for her to stay seated. Mina was dressed in form-fitting sportswear just like her, holding two cups of hot coffee, appearing as if she had also just finished a practice session.

If Sullyoon remembered correctly, neither MISAMO nor TWICE had any comeback plans scheduled for the near future. Seeing Mina training until this hour under such circumstances, Sullyoon couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration.

"This is for you."

"Thank you, Mina-sunbaenim."

She tilted her eyes slightly, observing the senior who had sat down cross-legged beside her. Noticing the faint beads of sweat still glistening on her temple, she thoughtfully pulled a tissue from her pocket. Mina seemed surprised by the gesture, pausing for a moment before letting out a soft laugh and accepting the tissue.

Because both were naturally quiet in private and their busy schedules left them with almost no contact outside of work, their relationship was, truthfully speaking, not even as close as her friendship with Zhou Xinyu from tripleS.

"You're quite busy lately, aren't you? You’re the only one I see booking the practice room so late at night."

Mina sipped her coffee while glancing nonchalantly at the controller in Sullyoon’s lap.

"Yes. Because of my individual schedule, I have to have the teachers practice the positioning with me separately so that I don't compromise the stage performance."

"That’s a good thing. Your group currently has the best conceptual planning in JYPE; the development potential of the senior groups certainly doesn't compare to yours."

Mina’s tone was quite firm. Perhaps because she was an eight-year veteran and a popular member of a group like TWICE, Sullyoon was very willing to believe her words. And... she was right. Compared to groups like ITZY, although NMIXX faced harsh criticism upon debut due to their concept and musical style, after nearly two years of refinement, they were now on the right track.

Furthermore, since last year, the commercial events that had been canceled due to restrictions on large gatherings began to resume one after another. Relying on the members' ability to sing live while dancing and managing complex formations, NMIXX had gained a massive wave of fans through these offline events. The current busyness was a "happy burden."

"Thank you for the compliment, Mina-sunbaenim. TWICE has always been a role model for us, and we will strive to follow in your footsteps."

Perhaps because they weren't close, or because she didn't know why Mina had sought her out, Sullyoon maintained a professional demeanor, responding politely and humbly. She couldn't bring herself to face Mina with the same casual tone she used with others.

"Follow in our footsteps?" Mina seemed to find something interesting in that, a hint of a smile appearing on her cool face. "Better not learn from us. Perhaps because we’ve been active for so long, the members aren't as united as we used to be."

"As for those still seriously focused on their careers, there’s Nayeon, Dahyun, and counting me, that’s probably only four or five."

"Maybe it’s because you seniors have already reached the summit, so your considerations and pursuits have changed."

Though she didn't know why Mina felt such melancholy, Sullyoon tried to comfort her. "But for NMIXX, to reach the heights of TWICE, we still have to go through many more comebacks, commercial events, and tours..."

"For us, the road is still long, which is why we have to prioritize our work right now."

As she said this, the image of Xia Xing flashed through her mind. That guy seemed to know her thoughts; he had maintained a certain distance lately. Although they occasionally chatted about daily life on KakaoTalk, the atmosphere... Sullyoon knew very well that it was no longer as intimate as before. From a selfish perspective, she hoped it was she who was keeping the distance, but she didn't want Xia Xing to grow cold toward her. The current situation made her feel vaguely as if she were gradually missing out on things she could have held onto tightly.

Watching the junior's pale hands clutching the controller, Mina sighed slightly, as if confirming something.

"Prioritizing work is a good thing. Perhaps when you're a bit older, you'll realize that the money and resources in your pocket are the only things you can truly grasp."

"What about other things? If you miss out on them, don't you feel a lingering regret?"

Hearing the term "lingering regret," Mina seemed to recall something unhappy and nodded gloomily. "Perhaps... I’m not sure."

***

"Specialist Xia, you’re in high spirits lately, aren't you?"

Shin Ha-ri placed the documents that needed to be completed today onto Xia Xing’s desk. Her gaze naturally fell on the most conspicuous item: the photo frame. Wasn't that her younger sister, Shin Yuna?

Her lips twitched slightly, and she gave Xia Xing’s shoulder a solid pat. If Shin Ha-ri hadn't had a real sense of her sister dating before, this photo frame felt like an overt display. A scent of "lovey-dovey" romance drifted from the desk, putting Shin Ha-ri in a foul mood.

Xia Xing, of course, understood what she was implying. In front of this team leader—who was also his sister-in-law—he retracted the smile he usually wore.

"Team Leader, do these documents need to be returned to you before I leave today?"

He cleverly steered the conversation toward work, trying to block whatever the team leader was about to say. Shin Ha-ri shook her head, then forwarded a business trip application that had just finished approval to Xia Xing via the OA system.

"Get these documents done and give them to me before noon."

"You’ve been with the company for over two months now, and as your senior, I haven't taken you on a business trip yet."

"Come on a short trip with me. I’ve already handled the approval for you in advance."