8: Chapter 8 Member Recall - Eun-jung's Notice

Seoul, Cheongdam-dong.

Ham Eun-jung walked out of the Gangnam District Office, holding the director appointment letter for Yunmengze Entertainment in her hand.

She looked at her phone.

Qian Xu had just said, "Notify the other members."

"Tell them to come back and sign the contract."

Ham Eun-jung took a deep breath.

She opened her contact list.

The first one, Park Hyomin.

The phone rang three times before it was answered.

"Eunjung Unnie?"

Hyomin's voice sounded a bit weary.

"Hyomin, where are you?"

"Daejeon."

"Daejeon? What are you doing in Daejeon?"

"A commercial performance."

Hyomin gave a bitter smile, "A local supermarket is opening, and they invited me to sing."

"Three songs for 500,000 won."

Ham Eun-jung was stunned.

A T-ARA member.

Someone who once held a concert at the Tokyo Dome.

Now, she was singing three songs at a local supermarket for only 500,000 won.

"Hyomin, come back."

"Back where?"

"Seoul."

"What for?"

"To sign a contract."

Ham Eun-jung's voice trembled slightly, "Someone wants to invest in our comeback."

There was silence on the other end of the line.

A long time passed.

Then, Hyomin's voice came through.

"Eunjung Unnie, stop teasing me."

"I'm not teasing you."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Who?"

"A Chinese person."

"A Chinese person?"

Hyomin laughed, "A Chinese person investing in T-ARA's comeback?"

"Eunjung Unnie, you've been scammed, right?"

"I haven't been scammed."

Ham Eun-jung's tone was firm, "I've already met him."

"He acquired the bankrupt assets of our original agency."

"Including our contracts and trademark rights."

"He has established a new company called Yunmengze Entertainment."

"With a registered capital of 20 billion won."

Silence returned on the other end.

This time, it was even longer.

Ham Eun-jung could hear Hyomin's breathing.

Rapid and trembling.

"Hyomin?"

"Eunjung Unnie..."

Hyomin's voice choked up.

"I'm here for a commercial performance, and there are only thirty people in the audience."

"Only thirty people."

"They are all old fans, holding our light sticks."

"When I finished singing 'Roly-Poly', they all cried."

"I cried too."

"Eunjung Unnie, I really want to return to the stage."

Ham Eun-jung's eyes turned red.

"Come back, Hyomin."

"Tomorrow at 3 PM, at a cafe in Cheongdam-dong."

"We will all be there."

"Okay."

Hyomin hung up the phone.

Ham Eun-jung wiped away her tears.

She dialed the second number.

Lee Qri.

The phone rang for a long time before it was answered.

"Eunjung?"

Qri's voice was very soft.

"Qri, where are you?"

"A beauty salon."

"A beauty salon?"

"Yes, I'm working part-time," Qri said with a bitter smile, "giving skin treatments to customers."

"15,000 won per hour."

Ham Eun-jung opened her mouth.

Unable to speak.

Lee Qri.

T-ARA's visual.

Someone who once shone brightly on stage.

Now she was doing facials for customers in a beauty salon.

For 15,000 won an hour.

Less than 80 RMB.

"Qri, come back."

"Back where?"

"Seoul."

"What for?"

"To sign a contract."

Ham Eun-jung repeated what she had said earlier.

The acquisition, the new company, the 20 billion won.

After Lee Qri listened.

She was silent for a long time.

"Eunjung, are you sure this isn't a scam?"

"I'm sure."

"That person, Qian Xu, is right here in Cheongdam-dong."

"He bought a penthouse apartment for 9 billion won in full."

"He drives a rolls-royce cullinan worth 1.5 billion won."

"He isn't short on money."

Lee Qri took a deep breath.

"Okay, I'll come back."

"Tomorrow at 3 PM, at a cafe in Cheongdam-dong."

"Okay."

She hung up the phone.

Ham Eun-jung looked at her phone screen.

Her fingers were trembling slightly.

She dialed the third number.

Park Ji-yeon.

It was answered after one ring.

"Eunjung Unnie!"

Park Ji-yeon's voice was very lively.

But Ham Eun-jung could tell.

It was a feigned liveliness.

"Park Ji-yeon, where are you?"

"On set."

"What kind of show?"

"A web drama."

Park Ji-yeon smiled, "A short web drama, ten minutes per episode."

"I'm playing the third female lead."

"I don't have many lines, but I get some screen time."

Ham Eun-jung's heart ached.

T-ARA's maknae.

Someone who once shone brilliantly in "Heroes".

Now, she was playing the third female lead in a web drama.

"Park Ji-yeon, come back."

"Back where?"

"Seoul."

"What for?"

"To sign a contract."

Ham Eun-jung said the same words for the third time.

The acquisition, the new company, the 20 billion won.

The comeback.

After Park Ji-yeon listened.

The other end of the line went quiet.

Ham Eun-jung could hear Park Ji-yeon's breathing.

Getting heavier and heavier.

"Eunjung Unnie..."

Park Ji-yeon's voice changed.

It was no longer the feigned liveliness.

But a genuine tremble.

"Is what you said true?"

"It's true."

"Can we really make a comeback?"

"Yes."

"Can we return to the stage?"

"Yes."

"Can we sing 'Roly-Poly'?"

"Yes."

"Can we hold a concert?"

"Yes."

Park Ji-yeon cried.

Ham Eun-jung could hear her suppressed sobbing.

"Eunjung Unnie, I'm filming a web drama here."

"The director scolded me, saying I'm an has-been idol."

"Saying my acting is bad."

"Saying I deserve it."

"I endured it."

"Because I had no choice."

"But now..."

She was crying so hard she couldn't speak.

Ham Eun-jung cried too.

"Park Ji-yeon, come back."

"The six of us, standing on stage again."

"Okay."

"I'll come back."

She hung up the phone.

Ham Eun-jung stood at the entrance of the Gangnam District Office.

The sun was shining brightly.

But she couldn't stop her tears.

She thought of T-ARA's most glorious days.

In 2012, "Roly-Poly" swept the music charts.

In 2013, the Tokyo Dome concert was sold out.

In 2014, in the Chinese market, they had countless fans.

Then.

Overnight.

Everything was gone.

Contract disputes, being frozen, disbandment.

The members each tried to make a living.

Hyomin was doing commercial performances in local areas.

Qri was working part-time at a beauty salon.

Park Ji-yeon was playing bit parts in web dramas.

Boram was at home with nothing to do.

She herself was running around everywhere for appearances.

Now.

Finally, someone was willing to help them.

Ham Eun-jung wiped away her tears.

She opened her phone.

She sent a message to Qian Xu.

"Everyone has been notified."

"Tomorrow at 3 PM, at a cafe in Cheongdam-dong."

"All six of us will be there."

Qian Xu replied quickly.

"Okay."

"I'll wait for you."

Ham Eun-jung looked at the screen.

She smiled.

She looked up at the sky in Seoul.

The weather was really nice today.