Chapter 7: Half-Ripe Apple

How can I improve my social skills?

Suh Yuna sat quietly in the car, staring at the game controller in her hands, lost in deep thought.

Although being a successful idol would provide her with enough income to live comfortably for the rest of her life, she was not someone with such limited ambitions.

If one looked closely at the senior artists in their thirties who were still active in the public eye, the conclusion was clear: you must have either ability or resources.

Among the legendary seniors from Girls’ Generation who still enjoyed some fame, only Yoona and Taeyeon remained prominent.

Taeyeon was the epitome of popularity and talent in the singing world, while Yoona represented the perfect balance of hard work and access to resources.

Social skills were the most fundamental ability for artists to access and manage those resources.

Lost in thought, Suh Yuna was suddenly interrupted by a delicate, pale hand tapping on the driver’s window of her red Tesla Model Y.

She rolled down the window to see a face so beautiful it could lift anyone’s spirits.

“Seol Yoon, are you looking for me?”

“Yes, Senior Yuna.”

Seol Yoon bent down slightly, clearly noticing the game controller in Suh Yuna’s hands.

Seeing that the gift remained unopened, her initially furrowed brows relaxed.

“There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

“Come sit in the passenger seat.”

Yuna pressed the button, releasing the door handle.

Seol Yoon circled around cautiously, opened the door, and lightly settled into the passenger seat beside Yuna.

Under Yuna’s watchful gaze, Seol Yoon cleared her throat.

“That game controller you’re holding—it’s actually mine.”

Her tone was blunt, yet unexpected.

Yuna instantly considered many possibilities, but her mind was a muddle, unable to untangle the connection between Manager Ha, Seol Yoon, and the controller.

After all, she was the first to select a gift from Manager Ha’s offerings.

How did Seol Yoon know the controller was in her hands?

Noticing the confusion in Yuna’s eyes, Seol Yoon presented a well-rehearsed explanation:

“Manager Ha and I are close gaming buddies.”

“So this controller is basically my personal gift.”

“But he didn’t explain that clearly at the time, which caused you some trouble. I’m really sorry.”

Half-truths, concise and straightforward, were often the most believable.

Moreover, Seol Yoon’s ability to address matters openly was something Yuna admired.

While quietly appreciating Seol Yoon’s clarity, Yuna handed over the controller to the girl beside her, whose lips curled in a slight smile, as if she had just cleared a tough game level.

“Thank you, Senior! Keep this GUCCI bracelet for now. Next time we meet, I’ll bring you another gift.”

“Well then, I have to get back to practice. See you!”

Watching Seol Yoon leave in a flurry, a mixture of other emotions stirred sharply within Yuna.

Though they were only a month apart in age, Yuna never felt the camaraderie she should have with someone her own age when with Seol Yoon.

That kind of connection was reserved for her older sister Chae-ryeong and others.

Perhaps debuting at sixteen had prematurely aged her emotionally.

Like a half-ripened apple, sweet with a hint of maturity yet tinged with youthful naivety.

Because Yuna was a half-ripened apple, biting into either side would never yield the expected taste.

Those older might see her as immature, while younger ones treated her like a distant senior to be respected but not befriended.

Thus, no matter who she interacted with, there was always a barrier preventing true trust or heartfelt connection.

As she pondered this, her gaze inadvertently caught sight of Manager Ha clutching his suit jacket, searching for his car in the underground parking lot.

Yuna had shared an elevator with the NMIXX members, while Director Kim, to avoid overcrowding, accompanied Manager Ha in a different elevator.

No wonder he emerged from another direction and took longer to find the parking spot.

Just as Yuna prepared to start the car and leave, Manager Ha noticed her.

Under her watchful eyes, he greeted her while striding over with long legs.

What was he planning?

“Sorry to bother you.”

Manager Ha bowed slightly, his eyes briefly lingering on the center console and passenger seat, then continued:

“Do you remember the game controller you took this morning?”

Another game controller... Sensing the situation becoming complicated, Yuna instinctively wanted to evade the topic.

But recalling her earlier worries about social skills, she silently encouraged herself to engage with this seemingly unthreatening Manager Ha.

Perhaps there would be an unexpected reward.

“Manager Ha, why don’t you come sit in the car? Bending over like that must be tiring.”

Though similar to her earlier invitation to Seol Yoon, this one was different in intent.

Here, they were two people connected solely through business.

After receiving his consent, a subtle sense of satisfaction stirred in Yuna’s heart.

This was her first step toward improving her social skills.

“Thud.”

The slightly heavy sound of the door closing affected Yuna’s mood.

Manager Ha seemed oblivious and continued:

“Actually, that game controller was something I bought specifically for Seol Yoon of NMIXX.”

“So, you need to return it to her.”

“Exactly. It was hers all along.”

His tone was firm and decisive, leaving Yuna a bit frustrated.

It was just a controller worth a little over a hundred thousand Korean won—did it really warrant all this fuss from both Seol Yoon and Manager Ha?

And strangely... she found herself envying Seol Yoon.

Although she didn’t fully understand what kind of person Manager Ha was, she inexplicably envied their relationship.

It was as if they were close comrades bound by loyalty.

Otherwise, Seol Yoon wouldn’t care so much about the gift from Manager Ha.

Nor would he risk annoying Yuna by coming back for it. After all, who asks for a gift back once it’s given?

Yuna had intended to tell Manager Ha that Seol Yoon had already reclaimed the controller, but an impulsive lie slipped from her lips:

“I don’t have the controller with me right now. I’ll give it to her later.”

A meaningless lie, yet she couldn’t help but say it.

Perhaps... she didn’t want to surrender the controller so easily in front of Manager Ha.

To put it awkwardly, she wanted to complicate their relationship.

It felt like the villainous mindset of “I don’t have such a friendship, so neither should you.”

After uttering the lie, her heartbeat quickened, and her head felt slightly light.

She was at an age where lying didn’t come naturally.

Manager Ha glanced curiously at the GUCCI bracelet casually placed on the center console but pretended not to notice:

“Thank you for understanding. I’m sorry for any inconvenience caused by my earlier lack of explanation.”

“It’s okay, but... as compensation, you have to exchange contact information with me.”