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sukyung meets the girls with a smile on her face as everyone gathers in one of the practice rooms. it has been a constant barrage of rigorous training, what with the sudden demand of martial arts skills brought into the mix. “i see you’re all doing well for yourselves! i have a few updates for you.” she waits for the girls to come closer, stepping forward herself to deliver the news.

“so, you must be wondering what that form you had to fill up is all about, huh?” sukyung doesn’t wait for the members to answer, excited for whats ahead. “they’re for your characters, of course! your personas, if you will… well, i guess eunjeong already described most of it a while back. anyway, we’ve taken into account everything you’ve listed down so far. right now, we’re fixing the finer details. here in sr media though, we want you to be involved in the creative process of your debut and future comebacks.”

every member will be meeting with the artist that is assigned with the character design for these personas. other than the backstory and the lore, they will also be a part of the visual design process for these characters! “i hope some of you are artists and have a good sense of colors… even if you’re not though, we’ll just step in ourselves.” it’s a subtle reminder from sukyung’s end that no matter what happens, the final say will always come from sr media.

below are FIXED details about everyone’s characters so far!

JUEUN: Iris – Healer Role, Water Affinity

EUNAE: Eve – Scout Role, Earth Affinity

NAYOUNG: Astra – Fighter Role, Fire Affinity

ARA: Soleil – Defence Role, Air Affinity

“we love what you’ve come up with in terms of personality for your personas, and we’re keeping them as is!” sukyung sounds proud of the girls so far, and their creative thinking skills in character creation. “you must be wondering – wait, aren’t a group of crimefighting superheroes supposed to have a designated leader? well… you’re right, but whoever is leader amongst you guys will also hold the character that will be the leader in this fictionalized group too. so we’re still weighing our options!”

other than sitting down with the character designer, the girls will be fitting into costumes/outfits for a photoshoot in relation to their teasers! the outfits will resemble these. the photoshoot will take place in a decorated stage with golden accents, focusing on solo shots before continuing onto group shots.

#sr:projectnovus #sr:projectnovus5

— project novus: a new beginning !

after a round of successful performances, the girls are invited once again to eunjeong’s office. this time, eunjeong is already there, sitting on her chair with her laptop perched on her lap as she shuffles through physical files detailing the previous performances. she lifts her head up, no comforting smile in sight. instead, she nods, addressing their presence briefly. “i appreciate all of your efforts. it’s clear that you haven’t been slacking off during your training, and i can see your individual creativity shine through.” it’s a compliment; rare coming from eunjeong, within these walls at least. “you leaned into your strengths, and it worked for you. moreover, i saw the chemistry between each partnership. it worked well for your performances – that’s an important aspect of performance that you have to maintain, should you debut as a group.”

just then, sukyung slips into the room, taking her place next to eunjeong’s desk. the two of them share a quick glance, sukyung’s usual bubbly shine muted. after a few seconds of silence, eunjeong directs her sharp gaze back to the girls. “improvement isn’t linear, but i plan on bringing only those who are truly ready to this bootcamp. consistency, confidence, reliable talents, that’s what i’m looking for. we don’t have time to wait for you to reach the level we are hoping for. which is why, not all of you can proceed to the bootcamp.”

tension fills the room, the possibility of a member being removed from the project. “i’ll cut to the chase… for both our sakes. we do have a time limit, since this is a debut project, and we don’t have the ability to invest in someone who is still struggling to catch up to the others. HANNA, thank you for your time and effort, but your journey with this project ends here. we see potential in you, which is why you are part of the project in the first place, but we simply don’t have the resources to wait until you are able to improve at a faster rate. hopefully, we can work together on a future project.” she lifts her gaze to meet hanna’s, and it softens – none of that was easy for her to say, but it’s necessary. “sukyung will escort you back to the dorms to pack your things, and you may resume your regular training… additionally, she has something else to brief you about.”

PROJECT NOVUS GIRLS

congratulations on being the fixed members of project novus! after the tense conversation, eunjeong continues the meeting. “as i mentioned before, you will be attending a bootcamp focused on preparing you for your debut. in sr media, you know how seriously we take our concepts – in this bootcamp, you will be lending in your own creativity as we build the concept.”

the girls will be learning a variety of skills in this bootcamp: acting (particularly stage acting), martial arts and live performance, on top of polishing their usual performance skills. all these skills are intended to help them create their CHARACTERS for the debut project. “consider it your debut persona. we plan to create a narrative around you girls to support your debut and your presence in the industry, give you something unique to kickstart your career. while we are still fixing the final details, i can tell you this: those characters are essentially other versions of you who are superheroes in a parallel universe. your debut and your future comebacks will center around that concept. start brainstorming – what’s your character like? what specialized weapon does she carry? what’s her element? we’ll be reviewing what you girls come up with and work it into what we already have so far.”

while there’s a lot to do already, eunjeong hasn’t finished speaking. “we have big plans for you girls, and as you can see we need to start quickly. your character teasers won’t just be simple photos or videos where you showcase your best skill, it’d be a short drama – we will utilize the character and world building to its fullest.”

the bootcamp will be located in gyeonggi english village in paju, starting june 23.

HANNA ONLY

while the project novus girls are being briefed about their bootcamp, sukyung and hanna have returned to the dorms. however, sukyung sits hanna down in the living room with a small smile. she knows that eunjeong might’ve taken away hanna’s confidence earlier, so she suggests they speak and take a break for a while. “hanna, we have seen how hard you worked and how you’ve improved little by little in the upcoming weeks. although it isn’t enough for you to become a member of project novus, we see your energy and your acting ability both on stage and off stage, how comfortable you are in front of a camera. we have another opportunity for you. have you heard about the drama auditions? how would you like to be a part of that?”

sukyung places a sheet of paper between the two of them. “we hope you’re willing to consider this offer. we can’t promise you a lead role or anything of course, but we do want to add you to our roster of potential cast members. besides, we still want an sr media trainee among the list of actresses!”

she points to an empty spot on the paper. “If you’re interested, sign here. you can submit a short monologue to my e-mail if you’d like, but it’s not a requirement. it’ll only help you get a better role, but if you’re okay with possibly getting a minor role, then you don’t have to.”

#sr:projectnovus #sr:projectnovus4

— project novus: a new beginning !

with the photoshoots over, the girls are left to anticipate their next task ahead. they don’t have to wait too long though, as they’re called up to eunjeong’s empty office, waiting for further instructions. sukyung strolls into the room like she had done so before with no qualms, as if it’s a habit that she has had for a while, closing the door with her foot while holding a stack of folders. “rise and shine, girls!” she greets with a smile, signalling the start of a mission; another step towards debut. “you know the drill, eunjeong is stuck in a meeting right now so we’ll go ahead and get started first. hope you’re not bored just yet.”

sukyung pulls out a few pictures from the previous photoshoot, with group photos and individual photos. “these are the result of your hardwork! look at how good all of you were, not a single bad angle.” after a moment of pause, she taps on one member’s photo in particular, YUJI. “you look a little tense. are you not used to the cameras?” sukyung questions, glancing up at the girl with a hum. “being nervous is nothing new, but remember not to let it show in your face.”

her smile remains though, sounding more encouraging than anything, for now. “have the modelling workshops done you wonders? it seems some of you are a natural on camera. of course, if visuals are all we’re looking for, then we won’t be here.” she reminds, reminding everyone of what’s at stake here and just how much harder they’ll have to work to make the cut. “i hope you haven’t gotten too comfy in your dorms, because we’ll be sending you off to a bootcamp later on!”

eunjeong enters the office not too long after the announcement, stepping inside with a long sigh as she looks at the girls. “oh, you’re all here already. that’s good,” she says, showing hints of appreciating the timely attendance before taking her seat at her usual desk. “i trust that sukyung has filled you in on what’s to come?” eunjeong’s gaze falls onto her table itself, looking at the results of the photoshoot. then, she glances back upwards, sharp as ever. “keep in mind, this bootcamp won’t be happening this month. first, i want to see something from you. the desire to improve–individually and together.”

she shifts through the photos in her hands, expression unchanging, analyzing each frame. “some of you have the technical skills, but are uncomfortable when faced with a camera. others may be visually aesthetic, hitting all the right angles, but are stiff on stage. the rest? a little hard to get along with. this is the reason you are in a group, you’re meant to complete one another.” she explains, matter-of-fact with no room for compromise.

“you’ll be broken up into pairs,” eunjeong states, arranging the individual photos to reflect that. “by the end of the month, i want you to have a performance ready for me. prove to me that there’s a positive synergy between you and your partner and that you can work with one another to cover what you lack. not just when it comes to performing abilities–work ethics, attitude, teamwork ability, camera awareness–all these things that may not seem important will reflect how you perform on stage too. focus on your strengths and weaknesses, show me that you have the grit needed to survive and evolve in the industry.”

“remember the ranking list we asked you girls to fill up a while back?” sukyung joins in. “of course, i won’t reveal the overall results of that, but know that the pairings have taken into account what you’ve given to us. someone who was placed high may be paired with someone who was placed rather low. someone who is bubbly and able to get along with others…” sukyung glances to JUEUN before continuing, “may be paired with someone whose walls are drawn too high,” sukyung looks to NAYOUNG, before returning to everyone else with a smile.

“consider this your admission test for the bootcamp,” eunjeong adds on. “you will be performing a song from one of your company seniors. whether it’s a dance cover, a singing cover, or whatever it is you choose, remember the points i told you before: showcase your strengths in a way that complement one another. this is a duo performance after all, so we’ll be keeping a close eye on your chemistry.”

below are the duets for this mission:

@beyuji and @hannaxbe

@benayoung and @jueunbe

@arabe and @eunaebe

the performance will be set on a small stage with minimal props on JUNE 4. members are allowed to use musical instruments in their performances, they may consult with stylists for clothing and are encouraged to come up with their own style in this performance (colored pieces, theme), but may only do so on a simple scale and must use their own (or each other’s) outfits only.

“by the end of this, i want to know the intricacies of your performance,” eunjeong says. “why the two of you chose that song, why the two of you chose this style, why the two of you decided to focus on singing or dancing or rapping, all the works.” with that, she dismisses the girls.

#sr:projectnovus #sr:projectnovus3

after being given a few weeks to settle into their new living arrangements and start to get comfortable with one another, the real work will start to begin. the life of a trainee is not all fun and game after all; sooner or later the axe will fall and no one wants it to land on her own neck. but there are no axes today as sukyung lets herself into the project novus dorm early monday morning, just before all the girls begin to stir and start their day.

"project novus, please report to the living area!" she shouts, likely startling the lighter sleepers from their dreams. "wake up your roommates; if i don't see all of you out here in two minutes then you'll all receive a penalty!" she had appeared to be such a nervous, mousey woman in their first encounter. perhaps the aggressiveness of lee eunjeong has started to rub off on her, or perhaps she was this way all along.

sukyung still smiles and greets the girls warmly as they stumble into the shared living space in ones and twos as if feigning that she hadn't been responsible for the assault on their sleep. once they've all gathered, she clears her throat, and one by one asks them questions about their teammates until she's satisfied that they took the last assignment seriously. "i knew you'd do well," she beams, "we've been watching you all month, but we were pleasantly surprised how quickly you all opened up to one another. it's exactly what we like to see in our groups and eunjeong almost smiled when i reported the news back to her."

the woman smiles herself before continuing.

"it won't be all fun and games forever, but we do expect that you continue to get to know one another and bond. actually, before i leave here today and let you all get ready for training, i do have a request. i have paper and pens on the counter, please rank your fellow project group mates, not including yourself, from one to five; one being the girl who you believe will be the most helpful in a debut group, and five being the one who will be the least. don't think too hard about this, it's not our final decision. we just want to see how you evaluate one another at this stage in the project. oh, and please don't share your response with anyone else. i'll wait here by the door and you can hand your papers to me before you head out. please go see ms. lee after check-in, she would like to personally assign the next mission."

later, in lee eunjeong's office, the imposing woman perches herself against her desk, half-standing as she addresses the half-dozen girls fighting for a spot in her newest debut group.

"i need to get all of you in front of a camera." she sighs, as if all of this is one massive headache for her. "you're all pretty girls—you wouldn't be here if you weren't—but what i see in person and what shows up on film can sometimes be two different things. not all of you will have the it factor that shines even through a camera lens, and there's no way to figure out who has it without putting it to the test."

"i've arranged a small photoshoot to take place in this building for you. consider it like headshots, or a camera test. we'll be styling you for this shoot but don't expect anything too fancy. the test will be twofold," eunjeong holds up one finger, "how you conduct yourself in a professional manner at the photoshoot, how you interact with staff and each other, and how you respond to critique and feedback from the photographers. and two," she holds up another finger, "how the actual photos come out. your visuals are your first impression to the world, only a handful of people will be able to experience you in person at a debut showcase or music show stage. so try to impress me."

she hands each girl a printed schedule, showing how on april 26th, at 9:00am, all project novus girls are expected to report to a particular practice room where the photoshoot will be set up. the paper explains that they are to have clean faces with no makeup and be ready to be a blank canvas for the stylists before the actual pictures will start at 11:00am.

"don't think we're just throwing you to the wolves either," eunjeong informs the girls, "you'll be required to take a special modeling workshop once per week until the shoot. and, of course, anything you study on your own time will only help you."

with nothing left to discuss, she dismisses the girls from her office and back into their regular schedules.

#sr:projectnovus #sr:projectnovus2

— project novus: a new beginning !

when each girl returned her signed contract to the legal office, they were given identical instructions: after check-in on monday, report to lee eunjeong's office once again. six girls in total have joined the project:

@benayoung

@arabe

@jueunbe

@hannaxbe

@eunaebe

@beyuji

as they arrive, they may be surprised to find that eunjeong is joined by another staff member, one they likely haven't seen before. she's a short, plump woman with round glasses, perhaps a little stiff when she greets the girls one on one, but that can easily be brushed off as nerves. being in the presence of lee eunjeong can do that to a person.

"let me be clear that this is not a debut lineup," eunjeong tells the six girls in front of her. "not yet, anyway. but you all understand that this is the end goal here, correct? we have a vision for this group. it's up to you to prove whether you will be a part of it or not. this is both a competition and a collaboration. it will take time to decide, and i am a busy woman, so i'm leaving you in the care of oh sukyung," eunjeong gestures to the bespectacled woman. "think of her as your den mother, but also as my eyes. she'll be reporting your progress directly to me."

the group is dismissed from the creative director's office shortly after introductions are made and sukyung directs the girls to another office for a more thorough debriefing. she's immediately more at ease out of the presence of lee eunjeong.

"our first order of business is your living arrangements," she claps her hands together once, then clasps them as if a remnant of a nervous habit. "you know it's important for any group to bond with one another and show good synergy. frankly, the best way we know how to do that is to force you all to spend every waking moment together from now until you're one cohesive unit. the company has arranged for you all to move into a dormitory not far from the sr media building. your move-in date is march 1st."

sukyung explains that the trainees should plan to move all essential possessions into the dorm that saturday, and that the legal team is available if they need help breaking their current leases. she lays out the ground rules as well: no animals, alcohol, cigarettes, boys, or contraband of any kind will be permitted in the dorm. a budget for groceries will be provided in addition to the meals they receive at the company, however the girls will be in charge of arranging their own meals at home.

"starting today as well, you're all being placed in a training unit together. you'll still take all the same lessons, however you'll be in all of the same practice rooms and classes and required to work together much more frequently. take this opportunity to strengthen your relationships with one another and work towards developing stronger synergy and teamwork."

"we do need a way to measure your relationships and how teamwork develops. not just on a personal level, but professional as well. your task for the next several weeks is to get to know one another. find out what your new roommate's favorite color is, how old she was when she broke her first bone, how many hours she sleeps and how many steps her skincare routine has, morning and night. be friendly, be curious, be open."

sukyung takes a few questions before handing out an information sheet with the dormitory address, their current schedule of training classes, and yet another reminder that project novus should be kept quiet, even within the company. with that, the girls are dismissed to go about their day.

#be:event #sr:projectnovus #sr:projectnovus1

— attention, sr media trainees !

over the last several weeks, trainees may have noticed a new face sitting in on their lessons and practice sessions. with a little digging, it's not hard to find out that the mysterious visitor is none other than lee eunjeong, perhaps the most well known creative director on the sr media staff. whispers echo through the halls... just what is ms. lee doing with the trainees? why suddenly take an interest in their practices? all questions are answered in due time.

on monday, february 2nd, a select few trainees were tapped on the shoulder during their morning check in and told to report to a certain office before attending their regular practice schedules. in total, six girls—HAN JUEUN (@jueunbe), KIM ARA (@arabe), LEE NAYOUNG (@benayoung), SHIN EUNAE (@eunaebe), SHIN YUJI (@beyuji), and CHU HANNA (@hannaxbe)—are gathered in front of the desk of none other than han eunjeong herself, flanked by a company lawyer who may be familiar to the girls as having handled their contracts in the past.

"what i'm about to tell you is shared under strict confidence," she begins. "if i get word that anything i share with you here leaves the walls of my office, not only will you be removed from our company but you may very well never find work in this industry again."

she gives each girl a stern look, securing their secrecy before continuing. "we're starting a new project and you six are being invited to take part. of course, you're under no obligation to take up this offer, though you'd be fools not to."

she gestures to the lawyer, who distributes a packet to each of the young women. "what you have here is a nondisclosure agreement regarding PROJECT NOVUS. you will have to agree to the terms before we can share more details and include you in this project. you have a week to make your decision. you can drop the forms off at my office whenever you're ready."

"but let me be clear," her strict eyes meet each of the trainees' once again. "signing this contract is not a guarantee to debut. this is just step one, and we will continue to refine the project depending on who suits the vision best. it will be a difficult road ahead of you and i don't need anyone who's going to drag us down or cause any delays in our plans."

eunjeong dismisses the girls with a wave of her hand, gesturing them all to return to their regular training. on their way out, the lawyer promises to answer any questions should they have any, and again reminds them to keep all of this a secret.

#sr:announced #sr:projectnovus