#amarante

-.✦･｡ﾟthrowback to december 2nd 2018
           urgent group meeting between amarante and the ceo.✦｡ﾟ

           trigger warnings: mentions of sexual encounter, blackmail, humiliation

Considering the busy times Ryujin doesn’t quite understand why Amarante is called in for the supposedly urgent group meeting and with the very CEO of Starship Entertainment, out of all people. Information usually is given to them through instructors, or through their manager, not the high and mighty himself. The five of them sit in each their own chair in front of the man the girls can agree to be the scariest person that they know, none of them speaking so much as a single word. The girls are waiting, yet he is stalling for whatever reason.

Ryujin is nervous without knowing why, eyes shift between the CEO and the other girls. If she dared to speak up she would ask what is going on, and why they are all just sitting there in an incredibly suffocating silence. As the youngest person in the room she feel insignificant, if they were to speak then surely it would be a conversation that Jihyun hold as the eldest and as the leader of Amarante. There is no way that Ryujin will be speaking, her gut is telling her that this meeting will not end well and she question herself what they have done wrong.

   Is he joking with them? Will he break into laughter? 

All of them are confused about what is happening, clueless. The CEO sigh eventually, which honestly is the only thing that can be heard in the office. “I am very disappointed,” is what he express after what feels like an eternity. Her heart beats so loud that she can almost not hear what he is saying properly, and so fast that she wonder if it’s going to pop out of her chest. “I wonder, does any of you know why you are here? I know that one of you does,” the question appears rhetorical as he likely know the answer to it already. What is going on?

His tone is difficult to decipher, there is something leery about it. Ryujin look over to the other girls, all of them looking exactly as big of a questionmark as she does herself. Well–, there is one exception. Holding onto the hand of Soeun she squeeze it in anticipation, and in fear. It’s scary in the presence of the CEO, and his mood is not helping the atmosphere. Although he’s calm Ryujin know that he is angry about something that someone in their group has done, the five of them would not be there if not. She has understood so much by now.

   “Lee Jimin, why are you all here today, instead of practicing?
    Your debut is only ten days away, isn’t it? Are you not wasting time here?”

Eyes of them all land on the second youngest member of Amarante, who has been given the role of a sub-vocalist and visual of the group. Jimin meets none of their seeking glares, barely looking up from the ground with great shame printed on her very being. He sigh once more, a laptop is brought to the table and he turn the screen towards the other four girls who are dying already to know the truth about what is going on. When he press space a video play and they all know immediately what is going on, gasps are filling the room in choir with moans.

Ryujin has her eyes covered by Soeun’s hand, such a video is not for innocent eyes like hers. The sound of it reveal exactly what it is though, the dancer begin to feel sick because she has some idea what is going to happen. Their debut is in jeopardy. “Please, sajangmin– Turn it off already,” Jihyun ask with tears in her eyes with her fellow members in mind. Ryujin as a minor, in particular. She doesn’t know what to expect now, Soeun’s hands are relieved of duty when he close the laptop but the dancer’s eyes remain closed for another moment nonetheless.

“Our Jimin here thought that she deserved a better role in the group, didn’t you? Yet instead of showing her talents she make use of other skills, in attempt to blackmail me. I will have you all know that your vocal instructor, Kim Youngbin, has been eliminated from our company.” Is that everything…? Ryujin question it in her mind only, she’s so anxious to know the outcome that it appears that she forgot to breathe. Heaving a deep breath she prepare herself for what will be said next. “In the lights of this event,” there is more… “Amarante will also suffer greatly.”

“In fact, as of today there is no more Amarante. Thank you, Jimin, for opening our eyes about your true colours. We no longer wish to have your presence in our company. As for you other girls - Jihyun, Hyemi, Soeun and Ryujin, I am sorry but you will also no longer stay with us.” It can’t be, none of them did anything wrong so why are they also punished for someone elses’ crimes? “I have a contract for each and one of you that you will sign, that explain that you all understand what circumstances that we are parting under.” It really can’t be, can it?

   “We are terminating your contracts affective immediately. You may leave.” 

One by one do they sign the new paper that conclude their journey with Starship. One by one do they sob, and wipe tears off of their beautiful faces. As now the former group Amarante do they walk out of the office, with the exception of Jimin who is rushing past them. It’s only when they arrive to the practice room where they rehearsed only half an hour earlier that they break down together, weeping and bawling their eyes out in a final group hug. The culprit is nowhere to be seen, and that probably for the best. Ryujin would probably strangle the bitch.