A staff member leads you down KT’s winding hallways to Katie Lee’s office, then opens the door and leads you inside, where the CEO awaits, sitting at her desk. She observes you as you’re instructed by the staff member to take a seat. Next to your chair, is a company lawyer whom you recognize from before; he’d been present when you signed your initial company contract. The staff member then leaves the room. You hear the door close and the latch click back into place just as your CEO finally decides to speak up.
“I’m very glad you are here today because it means you have finally achieved our goal, haven’t you? Trainees come here and sign away their two-year contracts with hope of one day making to where you are right now, but not everybody makes it.” She says it all with a serene smile. “Your years of training are what got you here.”
“You stood out from the others, even if you also had your ups and downs. What’s important is that you managed to get yourself back on your in feet and kept on improving.” She pauses, and diverts her attention to her desk, where she shuffles paperwork until she sets one singular sheet of paper in front of her. “I’ve been proud of your growth here, and I trust you to do your best to continue to improve, even after debut. This, here,” she says, motioning towards the document, “is a contract exclusive to Eclipse and will tie you to this group, and to KT Entertainment, for the next six years.”
There is no sign of regret on her features as she slides the contract toward you and hands you a pen. “If we share the same vision of making Eclipse the next girl group of Korea, as I’ve already done with a group before, and you wish to be a part of this journey, you know what to do.”
When Audrey is guided to Katie Lee’s office, the first thoughts that run through her head are ones revolving around getting kicked out of the company. They heard about her fight with Inho, or how she argued with Sungho months ago. The instagram post was the nail in the coffin. She’s doomed. The girls must not have been active because Katie Lee was disappointed with them, and took the month deciding which girls to cut- Audrey must first on the list.
Those thoughts settle in the pit of her stomach as she sits down in front of the CEO’s desk, next to a lawyer. The dread and fear of losing her career must be evident on her face, because Ms. Lee finally speaks to her. Very glad, she says, and it finally pierces the dullness in her hearing because it’s not bad news.
She lets out the breath that she had been holding as the words continue, and they sound like praises- ones she hadn’t realized she needed until she heard them. Katie Lee is proud of her, and doesn’t want to get rid of her. She wants to keep her even longer- through even more ups and downs. (If they had survived this, couldn’t they survive more now?) It’s a promise of good fortune to come to KT for them both, and Audrey remembers why she signed her contract again last year anyway.
There’s no hesitation on her part; As soon as the pen is offered to Audrey’s shaking hand she signs, with decorative flourishing and a heart, because her heart will always be with KT, just as she mentioned last year when she sat here with their CEO signing on for another two years. There’s no doubt about it, and Audrey has to fight to hold back the tears of relief and joy that threaten to escape. “Thank you.”