✩｡:*•. ~ The Selection - A Roleplay ~ .•*:｡✩ discussion
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Path to the Selection:
(ft. Jihyo’s perspective)
Contents:
~ Tzuyu’s profile
~ Tzuyu’s historybecause it won’t fit onto the profile
~ Maids
~ The Announcement of the Selection - Part I [Tzuyu]
~ The Announcement of the Selection - Part II [Jihyo]
~ The Letter - Part I [Tzuyu]
~ The Letter - Part II [Tzuyu]
~ The Letter - Part III [Jihyo]
~ Preparing for the Selection - Part I [Tzuyu]
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Help.
She should never have nagged her father to buy them a TV. She was deeply regretting it now. Oh well. It was done. There was nothing she could do about it, or any way to prevent the thunderstorm heading her way.
Tzuyu sighed as she flopped onto her small bed in the dorm. Jihyo looked towards her, eyes filled with worry, but Tzuyu ignored her. Everyone thought that Tzuyu held together her group, Midnight, and that was true, but in fact it was Jihyo who held Tzuyu together. She didn’t know what to do without Jihyo, if she was being honest.
Jihyo sat herself down on Tzuyu’s bed anyway. “Is this about the Selection?” she asked.
Tzuyu just nodded.
“And let me guess. Lisa wants to go as it’s her only chance, Momo would die to go but she’s too young and your parents want you to go but you don’t want to.”
“How did you know?”
“I know you too well,” Jihyo sighed, smiling. Goddamn it. Was she that easy to read?
Tzuyu replied “I have a bunch of reasons for not wanting to go.”
“And who says you’ll have to go?”
She stared at her friend.
“You’re famous enough without the Selection to boost you up! And who knows, if you end up going you might even outshine the prince and royal family!” To that, Tzuyu rolled her eyes and Jihyo laughed. “Aww come on, your parents just want you to apply for the Selection, not to be the next princess! That’s Lisa, not you. And plus, how many girls of our age group are there in Clermont? I bet you, most of them are going to end up applying. It might even be good for you!”
“Don’t lecture me Jihyo,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“It would be fun! Imagine meeting the prince!”
“It’s easy for you to say that. Your mum works at the palace!”
“Well yes but—”
“Jihyo. Did I ever tell you that my grandmother was Elise Whisks’ sister?”
Jihyo’s jaw dropped to the ground. “What?!”
Tzuyu rolled her eyes. “My grandmother was Elise’s younger sister. She was only really a toddler when Elise participated in the Selection. She moved to New Asia with her sister, then my parents founded the company, got kicked out of New Asia then came back to Illéa. The stories of the Selection got passed down through the family, but my great-aunt Elise told me the most, as I was the most interested. She had the worst time possible in the Selection. Being a 4, the famous Celeste Newsome looked down on her, and bullied her. My great aunt, being shy, was only like really good friends with Natalie, but then Natalie got sent home. Celeste never stopped bullying her, and just before her death she finally apologised, but my great aunt couldn’t forgive her. She put crushed glass in Elise’s slippers! Even the Queen America didn’t like her that much. Don’t you see? What with my not being able to cope with so much hate already, I can’t cope with more bullying, to me or to someone else. Plus, Celeste was a famous model from Clermont, and I’m a famous idol from Clermont. Do you see where this is going?”
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All this time, Jihyo had boasted to be Tzuyu’s best friend but it turned out even she didn’t know everything about her friend. Being related to Elise Whisks! Jihyo couldn’t think of anything better.
“Don’t be put off by the fact that Elise didn’t have a good time in the Selection. You’re not your great aunt. Trust me. Nor Celeste. If you’re anyone from that era, you’re Queen America for goodness sake Tzuyu! And plus, what are the chances you’ll get chosen?”
Jihyo was determined that the Selection would be good for Tzuyu. If she got in and the prince didn’t choose her, it was his own fault for throwing away the literal perfect wife, but if she was honest Jihyo couldn’t bear losing Tzuyu. Sometimes she liked to think of Tzuyu as just hers, and she knew it was wrong but she couldn’t help it.
“Are you sure I should enter?” Tzuyu asked, pursing her lips.
“Why not?” Jihyo replied. “I will! And you’ll come with me to the photo shooting and stuff.”
“Photo shooting?!” Tzuyu cried.
“I’ll buy you a brown sugar milk tea if you do! And a lifetime supply of that if you become the next queen!” Tzuyu laughed and pinched Jihyo.
“Fine. Game set and match to you. I’ll sign up,” she sighed, defeated.
Jihyo smiled, as she hatched a plan. Her mother was a nurse in the palace, and Jihyo might just make her mother let slip a couple of facts that Tzuyu would be perfect for the prince and… if her friend got chosen to participate in the Selection Jihyo would personally take all the credit. She wanted Tzuyu to make the most of life, and what could be better than a trip to the palace? She had to get away from toxic fandoms and her family and Tzuyu needed a chance to make more friends that weren’t idols or trainees. It would be very good for her, Jihyo was sure of it. Of course, she wanted to get chosen herself, but she wasn’t destined for that life, and she supposed she stood no chance as her mother worked there anyways. As long as Tzuyu made it, Jihyo was fine, and content with spending all her wages on Tzuyu’s brown sugar milk teas.
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“MOMO! YUYU!” screamed Lisa as she burst into Tzuyu, Jihyo and Minju’s dorm, the latter squealing and hiding herself as she was changing. It had to be something urgent otherwise Lisa wouldn’t have called Tzuyu ‘Yuyu’.
“What is it now?” Tzuyu sighed.
“The letters. They’ve arrived.”
“The royal letters?” squealed Momo.
“YES! Everyone’s is being delivered to their dorms but mama wants to be with us when we open our letters. So you better come.”
“I’m still annoyed. I’m turning 13 next month! Surely they should have let me participate!” huffed Momo.
Lisa rolled her eyes as Tzuyu smiled down on Momo. “Don’t worry Momo,” she reassured. “You’ll get to debut soon, isn’t that just amazing?”
“You debuted at 13, you tell me if you think debuting is more fun than meeting the prince and roaming around the palace and maybe even marrying the prince!” Momo cried.
“Momo, we already had this talk about a month ago. Please don’t make me go through it again.”
“No!”
“Honey, only one person in the entire of Clermont is going to the palace, and only one person in the entire of Illéa is going to be the next princess. But you have debuting to look forward to! Come on Momo, you’re very talented, you’re bound to debut. So what if let’s say your group becomes very famous, and then maybe the prince will turn up in one of your concerts!” Tzuyu doubted that the prince would be interested, but he had said a lot of positive comments about Midnight, so who knew? At least Momo had perked up.
Lisa was becoming more and more impatient by the minute, and soon she completely lost it.
“FOR FUCK’S SAKE WILL YOU HURRY UP?!” she screamed as her sisters scrambled to their feet.
They ran as fast as they could to reach their parents’ office and Tzuyu didn’t really know what to think. She didn’t want to get into the Selection, yet Jihyo had convinced her that exploring the palace would be fun, and getting all those fancy dresses would be worth it. Tzuyu didn’t want to be stuck with the clothes her parents gave her every season for performances and just her casual comfortable ones. Damn Jihyo. Her friend had been the only reason Tzuyu had entered the Selection and now here she was, doubting whether or not she actually wanted what she thought she wanted - to not get picked for the Selection.
No. She didn’t want to be in the Selection. And that was flat.
Damn Jihyo.
As soon as they entered, Lisa snatched her letter from the palace and tore it open. Momo, being too young, had no letter of her own, but Tzuyu did. The envelope was pretty, her name was written in the prettiest calligraphy possible and the edges were lined with gold with a wax royal seal. Trying not to break the seal, Tzuyu carefully removed the letter from the envelope. Then she saw it. The handwriting of her letter was different from the typed out one in Lisa’s hand. Tzuyu’s letter was handwritten. Her heart skipped a beat as she hugged the letter in close to her chest, not reading what was on there. She shouldn’t have been excited, but… it was Jihyo’s fault that she was excited.
Suddenly, an ear-piercing scream erupted from where Lisa was standing reading her letter. Her mouth was covered by one hand as tears streamed down her cheeks. They didn’t look like happy tears.
“Lisa?” asked Momo.
“Don’t… don’t talk to me!” cried Lisa, crumpling up the letter, throwing it on the floor and slamming the door as she left crying.
Her mother remarked curtly to her father “Now you see why we didn’t debut her.”
“Not helpful, Mina,” sighed her father. “Tzuyu?”
Right. She hadn’t read her letter yet. Tzuyu sucked in a deep breath. Her father had always been more supportive of her than her mother, but still. They were her parents.
Tzuyu read the first line of her letter.
And promptly screamed.
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“Wait so you’re actually going to MEET THE FUCKING PRINCE?” screamed Momo.
“Language, Momo,” laughed her mother, clapping her hands.
“Can I come with you? Please say yes Tzuyu! I’m your favourite sibling! Pleaseeeeeeee? I know you’ll invite Jihyo over, but I am your little sister. PLEASEEEEEEEEE—”
Tzuyu’s brain wasn’t braining. Well, that was one way to put it. She had no idea what her brain was supposed to think. Her. Tzuyu Nakamura. In the Selection. How on Earth—
“READ THE FUCKING LETTER OUT LOUD!”
“Language, Momo!” scolded her mother, but she didn’t really care.
“I COULDN’T CARE LESS ABOUT FUCKING LANGUAGE JUST READ IT OUT LOUD TZUYUUUUUU!”
She couldn’t. She was going away to the palace to win the heart of a prince everyone except her in the entire company wanted to marry, while plenty of dejected and perfect-for-the-prince girls sat at home, crying whenever the tv was turned on. She couldn’t. She shouldn’t have let Jihyo persuade her in the first place.
“I can’t accept it,” she sighed.
“ARE YOU CRAZY TZUYU?! THIS IS LITERALLY THE BEST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU, AND YOU’RE TURNING IT DOWN? I’ll take your place, or Jihyo even, and I bet Lisa would give up any chance of debuting for this place! I’M NOT ALLOWING YOU TO TURN IT DOWN, OK?” Momo screamed.
Tzuyu couldn’t help it but some part of her agreed with Momo. It couldn’t get better than attending the Selection, and if she won it - jackpot. The countless ball gowns, a free ticket to explore the palace—
But Jihyo. Momo. She’d be leaving her family behind, and she couldn’t bear that.
“Ok fine, I won’t turn it down. But… I’ll just be a fish swimming in an empty ocean. I can’t do it without you or Jihyo!”
“Well, we’ll worry about that later. For now, just read out what was in that fucking letter.”
“Momo! Language—”
“Fine! That FRICKING letter. Happy now mum?” Momo rolled her eyes.
Tzuyu smiled, then handed the letter over to Momo to read.
Momo read (with a couple of squeals in between):
“Dearest Tzuyu,
This is Prince Felis Schreave writing. I’m delighted to inform you that you have been chosen to attend the Selection, and one of the palace staff will be at your house tomorrow to meet you and to give you important information. Or it is your building?
I look forward to meeting you, and hearing your stunning live vocals for myself!
Love,
Prince Felis xx
HE ACTUALLY PUT KISSES?! AND HE KNOWS ABOUT MIDNIGHT? THAT MIGHT HAVE JUST BEEN THE MOST ROMANTIC THING I’VE EVER READ!”
“Momo, calm down, it’s me going not you.”
“Spoilsport.”
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Well. Jihyo’s plan had worked. But she wasn’t as happy as she thought she would be. She should have been overjoyed that Tzuyu was going to the Selection, but she wasn’t. A day ago, they had been scheduled to go on an Illéa tour in honour of their latest EP, Unknown, and they were also scheduled to perform for the Selection, but would that still go on? Midnight couldn’t function without Tzuyu, and lastly… Jihyo didn’t know what to do without Tzuyu. Well, that was the main reason.
When forming her plan, Jihyo hadn’t thought about her own emotions. Of course, Tzuyu would also be disappointed, but she had the Selection to look forward to. Jihyo had Tzuyu’s return to look forward to, but the entire point of the Selection was to try not to return, which defeated her entire point. She both wanted her best friend to return, and not to return at the same time. Jihyo sighed as she flopped herself down onto her bed.
“Unnie?” asked Tzuyu, poking her head around the door. Anytime but now. Jihyo pulled herself together. The last thing she currently needed was Tzuyu’s pity.
“So, how does the lucky one feel?” she asked, and she hated herself as her voice wobbled ever so slightly.
“I’m not sure,” Tzuyu replied, thankfully oblivious to Jihyo’s wobbly voice. “I’m not sure if I made the right choice or not to even enter! I only entered for the fun of it and to make my parents happy. You practically told me there was no chance of me getting in, and here I am.” She sighed, sitting next to Jihyo. “Are you ok? You seem unusually quiet today, unnie,” Tzuyu asked, genuine concern shining on her perfect face.
Help.
Jihyo breathed in deeply before deciding to tell Tzuyu the truth about how she felt. “It’s just… I don’t know what to do without you,” she said simply.
“Oh, unnie, Midnight will function just as well under you! Trust me, you will plan all the concerts and choreos even better than I can! I take your advice anyway.”
“No, it’s not that,” she replied, shaking her head. “I can lead Midnight all right, but me. I’ll miss you more than you can imagine,” she forced out, a tear falling down her cheek. “I wanted you to go, more than myself - any persuasion that might have been done in your favour over at the palace can be traced back to me and my mother - and I know you will benefit from it, but I miscalculated emotion. Quite a lot. And… I just don’t know what to do without you,” Jihyo cried.
There. She had done it. She had forced the truth out, bit by bit.
“Jihyo, darling! Don’t cry for me! I’ll miss you just as much, probably more. I’ll envy you when I’m at the palace, crying over your letters so much the ink will blend, and you have such fun ahead of you. It will be a different experience for both of us to be apart, but this will also benefit you, I’m quite sure. And maybe it’s time to show the world why you’re the main vocalist of Midnight!” Jihyo managed a laugh at that, but it sounded more like a choke. Tzuyu smiled slightly, a mirrored tear falling down her cheek, and patted Jihyo on the back. “Aww, come here unnie. I’ll miss you too,” she comforted, pulling Jihyo in for a hug that she didn’t realise just how much she needed.
They just stayed in the embrace, without talking, for about five minutes, both crying but feeling reassured in each other’s presence, until of course Minju decided to walk in.
“What are you two doing here? Isn’t one of you supposed to be packing and the other finalising the choreo for ‘Never Really Yours’?” Minju scolded.
Jihyo wiped away the tears from her face as Tzuyu did the same.
“You were crying? Aren’t you supposed to be happy? I’ll give you both a hug and you guys can get on with your work,” Minju continued, softening up. Well, she was the oldest, and she liked to show it.
Jihyo squeezed Tzuyu’s hand three times and Tzuyu squeezed it back.
I will never forget; I will never leave you; I will stay with you forever.
Always and forever.
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Seeing herself on TV still came as a shock even after all these years. And knowing most households in the entirety of the kingdom were watching somehow made it worse. Her building all got letters because their TV sometimes broke down and hundreds of girls and boys couldn’t fit in the one small TV room, but unfortunately for Tzuyu her parents were forcing her to watch the broadcast despite already knowing the results. The other many unfortunate girls in the building were all getting their letters delivered, and Tzuyu felt really bad as they actually wanted to go to the Selection, and here she was, in their place.
Tzuyu sighed and brushed a sob from her cheek as she curled up next to Jihyo, ever a steady base for her. Faces came and went on the screen, and with each smiling face Jihyo held her tighter. Soon, a familiar face appeared on the screen, causing Tzuyu to gasp. Serena Linster? Wasn’t she the singer that… she shook her head as Jihyo whispered “Doesn’t she have a boyfriend?”
Tzuyu replied “Must have been entered unwillingly.”
Another couple of faces popped up and then Tzuyu herself. She shuddered at that smile that had been forced, but it looked so natural thanks to her training. The glitter on her face and stars plus her dyed strawberry coloured hair made her look like a fairy, but gods knew she felt like anything but a fairy when she took that wretched photo. Tzuyu knew that as soon as that photo popped up, the messages from the Owls would be too many to count.
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Aesthetic plan
Tzuyu’s home province :)
Oh and Jellie’s page ;)