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“Oh ho ho! That’s really amazing.”
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Whoosh- Whoosh-
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Mom and Dad were sitting on the living room sofa watching TV.
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I was next to them, practicing sword techniques with a toy sword.
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On TV, a program called ‘Garterbelt’ was being broadcast.
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The show ‘Garterbelt’ featured clowns showcasing their unique skills.
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And well-dressed nobles would laugh, marvel, or sometimes imitate them while watching.
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The ages of the clowns varied, and occasionally, one would perform feats so impressive even I couldn’t help but admire them.
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“Honey. Should we let Siyeon try going on that show too?”
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“Huh?”
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“You know, Siyeon is good at Taekwondo and can jump so well on her own. If a 5-year-old shows off tricks, she’d probably gain some popularity.”
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“Popularity… But still, sending her to a show like that seems a bit…”
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“Come on, you said before that it’d be good for Siyeon to learn acting. If she shows her face on a show like that from a young age, it could help her later.”
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“Well, that’s true… But I only said that because Siyeon is so pretty…”
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“Oh, honestly… Our Siyeon is…”
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Mom and Dad continued their conversation while watching TV.
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I kept moving my body as if I hadn’t heard them.
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So… they want to send me there.
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To go out as a clown and perform some tricks, I suppose.
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It wasn’t an unfamiliar situation from my past life.
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Though I wasn’t a clown, I remembered performing sword dances at royal parties and banquets to entertain the guests.
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I had to showcase even more dazzling techniques to earn the nobles’ applause.
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It was something I often did during my early years as an inexperienced soldier.
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‘I see. They want me to earn my keep.’
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It made sense—no one raises someone without expecting something in return.
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Sending me to a show like that means they want me to perform and pay for my meals.
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It was only natural, so I accepted it calmly.
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Still, my parents were good people.
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The fact that they had raised me in warmth for five whole years was enough.
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I couldn’t just keep freeloading without doing anything.
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Recalling my past life, where failure to earn one’s keep meant death, my current situation seemed almost strange.
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Clowning… I’ll do it.
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I’ll gladly become a spectacle in front of those nobles.
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Compared to the blood and filth I had to endure in my past life, this was nothing.
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With a calm determination, I turned to Mom and Dad and spoke.
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“Mom. Dad.”
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“Huh? Siyeon, what is it?”
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“Yes, my daughter!”
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Mom and Dad, who had been arguing for a while, turned their heads toward me.
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“I’ll do it.”
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“W-What?”
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“Hahaha! Yes! That’s my daughter!”
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“Sigh… But honey, Siyeon is still our daughter…”
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And so, I ended up auditioning for ‘Garterbelt’.
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The main PD of the TV show ‘Garterbelt’ was Kang Chan-guk.
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Recently, Chan-guk had been feeling quite burned out.
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“Should I move on to another program? I’ve been running this one for too long; it’s no longer fun.”
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“Huh? But where would you find another show like ‘Garterbelt’? I still laugh to tears every week watching the contestants.”
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“Hey, that’s only entertaining for a day or two. At this point, even if a real magician showed up, I wouldn’t be surprised.”
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He was the one who turned ‘Garterbelt’ into a national variety show.
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He worked tirelessly every week to discover extraordinary contestants.
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But finding something genuinely new every week was challenging.
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Child dance prodigies. Genius magicians who could fool everyone. Old men performing shocking stunts.
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The contestants were always of similar types.
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No matter how unique or intense they were, nothing truly flipped the script anymore.
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Chan-guk was considering switching to another program.
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“So, where would you go?”
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“I need to think about it… Maybe start a new show… Anyway, let’s start the auditions. I still have work to do.”
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For now, quitting wasn’t an option.
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Chan-guk wearily began the contestant auditions.
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As expected, the same types of contestants kept appearing.
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He flipped through them quickly, marking the ones who could provide enough material.
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“Next up is… Assassin Girl.”
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“…Assassin?”
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The name caught Chan-guk’s attention.
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Even he had never seen a contestant with the title ‘Assassin.’
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And she was only five years old.
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“Huh. Is this going to be some martial arts prodigy thing?”
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“Probably. They should’ve just written it that way…”
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Occasionally, ‘Garterbelt’ featured martial arts demonstrations.
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With little expectation, the next audition began.
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But the moment a five-year-old girl walked in, Chan-guk’s half-closed eyes opened wide.
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‘…What? How can a five-year-old look so pretty? And she’s so tall for her age?’
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A stunningly beautiful child.
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A flawless face without a single imperfection.
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It felt like staring at a timeless piece of art.
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It transcended the very concept of beauty.
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“Please introduce yourself.”
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The assistant director, equally stunned, took a moment to resume the audition.
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Chan-guk adjusted his slouched posture.
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‘This is it. I don’t know about assassins or martial arts, but with that face, she’ll be a sensation no matter what.’
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“Hello! I’m Kim Siyeon!”
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“Uh, okay. Siyeon, what’s your best skill?”
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“…I’m good at assassination!”
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“A-Assassination? Could you show us?”
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The child confidently claimed to be good at assassination.
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It wasn’t uncommon.
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Children sometimes mimicked ninjas or fighters they saw in cartoons.
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But usually, it was boys.
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A girl saying this was rare, and Chan-guk considered using her looks as the main selling point even if her skills were lacking.
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At least, until Siyeon started to move.
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Whoosh—
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“?!!!!?!!”
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An incredible movement.
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It was so fast it was almost invisible.
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Siyeon pulled out a toy sword and began swinging it at an incredible speed, demonstrating something.
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It looked almost like a sword dance.
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I wasn’t an expert in that field, so I couldn’t quite tell what it was.
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But one thing was certain: that child’s movements were extraordinary.
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“W-what was that just now, Siyeon?”
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“It’s called Am-Mu (暗舞, Dark Dance).”
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“I-I see. Could you perhaps show us more, but slower this time? Maybe something different.”
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“Yes!”
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Siyeon proceeded to demonstrate various movements.
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I couldn’t tell exactly what they were, but her performance was mesmerizing.
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At the same time, an eerie chill ran down my spine.
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When Siyeon reversed her grip on the sword and mimed stabbing something, my neck felt cold.
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When she stabbed repeatedly at high speed, it felt as if my stomach was being slashed open.
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It was just mimed movements, yet it sent chills down my spine.
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It felt like I was actually being assassinated.
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“O-okay. I think we’ve seen enough now.”
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The assistant director finally stopped Siyeon after a long while.
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Siyeon skillfully twirled the toy sword and sheathed it, then politely folded her hands together.
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She looked like a real assassin.
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“So… Siyeon, where did you learn martial arts?”
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“I learned it at Assassin School .”
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“A-Assassin School, you say…”
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“Haha, she’s actually attending a Taekwondo academy these days. I think she just meant that. She’s really into it lately,” said Siyeon’s mother, trying to explain.
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“Oh, I see.”
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The assistant director turned to Chan-guk, the director, as if asking for guidance.
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Chan-guk, who had been staring blankly with his mouth slightly open, snapped back to reality and straightened his posture.
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‘This… works. I’m not sure what I just saw, but her movements are incredible. A cute little girl who’s also a martial arts prodigy? That’s definitely going to draw attention. An unimaginable combination. The title Assassin Girl might just work… It’s been a while since I’ve seen something worth creating.’
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While sketching out ideas for the show, Chan-guk spoke.
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“Siyeon, do you have any other ‘assassination techniques’ you can show us?”
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A good director knows how to draw out a performer’s full potential.
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This girl seemed deeply immersed in the concept of being an assassin, probably inspired by some anime or cartoon.
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And with such immense martial arts talent, there was potential for even more impressive visuals.
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“There are many techniques! But if I had an opponent, I could show even more!”
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“An opponent?”
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Did she mean she needed an assassination target?
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Chan-guk stood up from his seat, eager to test her potential himself.
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“Alright then, how about I be your opponent? Oh, but no swords—it’s dangerous. Haha!”
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“Yes!”
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“…Director?”
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The assistant director looked bewildered. Chan-guk waved him off casually.
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This contestant was special.
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He felt compelled to see her potential firsthand.
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Even if nothing extraordinary happened, her face alone would guarantee plenty of screen time.
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But something about this girl made him expect more.
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She had a unique aura that stirred something in him.
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“Okay, I’ll stand still. Try to ‘assassinate’ me. Oh, but don’t actually kill me, alright? Hahaha!”
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“…Okay!”
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What could a five-year-old girl possibly do? At worst, he might get a tiny bruise.
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Chan-guk smiled as he watched Siyeon prepare herself.
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For some reason, he felt like he was about to witness something incredible.
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Siyeon assumed a stance and began moving slowly, almost ceremoniously, like a martial artist.
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Then—
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Pop!
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“?!?!”
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She vanished from his sight in an instant.
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“Urk!”
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A heavy sensation struck his abdomen.
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His body instinctively doubled over, his spine stretching.
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Immediately after, he felt a sharp chill at the back of his neck.
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Smack!
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A crisp impact rang out, and Chan-guk collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
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Thud!
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“D-Director?!”
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The assistant director jumped up from his seat.
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The once cheerful Siyeon now looked bewildered.
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Even her mother stood up in alarm.
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“D-Director? Are you okay?”
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At first, no one believed he had actually fainted.
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Surely, he was just pretending to play along with the child.
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But that child’s movements… they were not those of an ordinary five-year-old.
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“D-Director?! Director!!”
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But Chan-guk did not wake up for a long time, and the audition had to be halted.
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Not long after, Siyeon’s mother received a message:
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Siyeon has been accepted into the ‘Garterbelt’ audition.
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