Chaeyeon is ruining the picture.
You are separated from the group.
The other parts look good; yours looks bad.
Because of you, there is no A-cut.
Do you want me to cut you out and leave the picture like this?
Are you shooting an advertisement for a frying pan?
Those words from earlier keep repeating in her head, like a broken record.
Each time they surfaced, they pressed harder against her chest, breaking her heart all over again and leaving her on the verge of tears.
Disappointment.
That was the only word she could use to describe how she felt toward herself.
They have to show what they want to convey, but she keeps posing separately. She can't do anything; she doesn't know what to do. She feels awkward whenever she poses, and with every failed attempt, her guilt toward her group grew heavier.
She was always the one ruining their shots.
The weak link.
The reason they might not make it to the major team.
Today is the first day of elimination, and she can't seem to calm herself down
A bad premonition gnawed at her nerves, leaving her restless and uneasy.
"Today's second mission is a photoshoot," JYP PD-nim announced. "There will be three judges evaluating you today. On my left is K Magazine Editor-in-Chief Kim Minji, and beside her is photographer Cho Sun-hee."
The judges continued explaining their grading criteria, but Chaeyeon barely heard them. Her thoughts were too loud, too tangled, drowning out everything else.
The minor group was called up first.
Standing at the center of the stage, her nervousness doubled.
The large screen above them lit up, displaying their group photo.
"What kind of concept is this?" JYP asked, eyes fixed on the image displayed on the flat screen TV above the stage.
"And what were you trying to express?" he continued, turning toward them.
"We chose a bokko concept," Nayeon-unnie answered on behalf of the group. "Instead of being a one-time star, we wanted something unique—something people would remember."
Kim Minji studied the photo before speaking. "The concept is…" she paused, choosing her words carefully. "Is it meant to be happy? Or Tomboyish? Individually, the photos aren't bad. But as a group, you need to become one and create a unified image. That was lacking here."
She glanced at the screen again. "If there's anyone I'm particularly dissatisfied with, it would be Eunsuh and Momo."
"Actually, there were a lot of pictures that came out much better. But because of Minyoung and Chaeyeon, there weren't any good shots of them. They should apologize to their members later" photographer Cho Sun-hee cut in.
Because of Minyoung and Chaeyeon, there weren't any good shots.
The sentence echoed relentlessly in her mind.
Chaeyeon bit her lip, forcing herself to hold back as her breath hitched. She didn't want them to see her break down.
She didn't want her sister Chaeryeong to see her older sister looking weak.
Chaeyeon didn't even know how she managed to return to her seat. Her mind buzzed, drowning in a storm of negative emotions.
"Next, please come to the stage, Chaeyeon" JYP called out snapping her back to reality.
She took a deep breath and walk towards the center looking nervously at the 3 judges who is looking at her picture plastered at the tv.
You were scolded a lot earlier during the group shoot," Cho Sun-hee said.
"Nae," Chaeyeon replied, letting out a small, awkward laugh.
"She even cried," the photographer added, glancing briefly at the other judges before turning back to Chaeyeon. "But thank you for working hard and staying positive. I'm grateful—and relieved—that you were able to control your emotions. That kind of mindset is very important in this industry."
"Kamsahamnida," Chaeyeon said, bowing deeply.
A quiet sigh of relief escaped her. She wasn't sure she could handle any more criticism.
"Your group photo was very awkward," JYP said with a small smile. "So this individual photo surprised me—in a good way."
"This photo is very well taken," Kim Minji added, nodding.
"Kamsahamnida," Chaeyeon said again, smiling faintly as she bowed and returned to her seat.
Maybe things weren't as bad as she'd imagined.
Maybe the bad feeling she had earlier was just her anxiety talking.
For the first time that day, she felt a little lighter.
"Llana, you're next," JYP called.
Chaeyeon leaned forward with the others, her attention drawn to the major side as Llana stood and walked calmly toward the stage.
She hated to admit it, but Llana-unnie really was formidable.
She deserves to be here… unlike me.
A small voice echoed in her mind.
Standing near her always made Chaeyeon feel small—almost invisible.
Even Chaeryeong couldn't stop praising Llana's talent lately. It was as if her sister had become Llana's biggest fan.
Chaeyeon's gaze shifted to the screen displaying Llana's photo. She was holding a sleek, glossy white porcelain mask with expressionless features, close to her face, looking at it with a thoughtful, almost curious expression, as if quietly wondering what it represented. as if trying to unravel what it meant. Her simple black turtleneck framed her face and the mask perfectly, drawing all the attention to her in the most natural, effortless way.
She really does look… perfect, Chaeyeon thought, mesmerized. Everyone that follows after her seemed to pale in comparison.
Her younger sister, came last. But unlike her individual cut, her younger sister's evaluation was full of negative comments.
Chaeryeong returned to her seat with tears slipping down her face.
Chaeyeon watched silently, her chest tightening as her own eyes burned. She wanted to stand up, to hug her sister and tell her everything would be okay—but she stayed where she was.
Not yet.
When JYP finally dismissed them, Chaeyeon stood immediately and went to her sister's side, pulling her into a quiet embrace.
She could only hope that neither of them would be eliminated.
Twenty minutes later, everyone was called back.
"K Magazine Editor-in-Chief Kim Minji, photographer Cho Sun-hee, and I reviewed your photos," JYP said. "Based on that, we've decided who will move from the minor group to the major group—and vice versa."
The room fell silent.
"The criteria are the same," he continued. "Who looks like a star? Who has star quality? I also used these standards to decide who will be eliminated." He paused. "First, I'll announce the members moving up to the major team. The first is someone who fell last week."
"…Mina."
Mina's eyes widened as relief washed over her.
"Mina," JYP said, "please announce which member from the major team will move down."
Mina hesitated, then spoke softly. "…Please come out, Chaeryeong."
Chaeyeon's heart skipped.
She turned to her sister, who froze for a moment before slowly standing. Watching her walk forward made Chaeyeon's throat tighten painfully.
The second member to make it to the major group was Tzuyu, which startled everyone.
No one expected it, as she had rarely received compliments. The final member moving up was Jeongyeon.
The major team was now Jeongyeon, Tzuyu, Mina, Natty, Sana, Chaeyoung, Somi, and Llana.
Jihyo, Chaeryeong, and Dahyun moved to the minor group.
Then came the moment everyone feared most.
"Now," JYP said slowly, "I will announce who will be eliminated."
Everyone in the minor group tensed, praying it wasn't them, hoping they would still get a chance to prove themselves.
"The first person to be eliminated and leave Seventeen today will be…" JYP paused again, stretching the silence until it felt unbearable.
"…Chaeyeon."
For a moment, Chaeyeon couldn't process it. Her mind went blank as her name echoed in her ears. Slowly, she stepped forward, tears blurring her vision.
"Chaeyeon," JYP began, "through K-pop Star, I've seen your skills and your talent. I know very well how capable you are. But because you tried too hard, you lost some of your natural charm."
Chaeyeon forced herself to listen, biting back the emotions threatening to spill over.
"Because you weren't able to fully show your talent," JYP asked, "are you disappointed?"
She tried to answer, but no sound came out. Her lips parted, then closed again. Nothing.
JYP continued to offer advice and encouragement, but every word felt heavy, every second dragging painfully.
When it was over, Chaeyeon bowed and walked out of the studio. She kept her head high, refusing to let herself look weak—especially in front of her sister.
She held back her tears until she reached the waiting room.
There, she waited to say her goodbyes.
Her sister would continue on without her now, facing the challenges alone. The thought hurt more than anything else. They had always relied on each other. Now, Chaeryeong would have to stand on her own.
Chaeyeon made a quiet promise to herself.
She would rest, then practice harder than ever.
She would grow, improve, and return stronger in the future.
It seemed she was the first to fall