Episode 32: OMG
30 Minutes Before Seo Seon-yu’s Official Joining
Fresh off her break, Baek Jin-ah marched into CEO Kim Yong’s office at VIP, clutching a maknae appointment certificate.
No appointment, just a bold entrance.
“Knock knock knock.”
“Hey, Jin-ah, what’s up?”
“Hello.”
Mimicking a knock with her voice, Baek Jin-ah thrust the certificate at Kim Yong.
“This. Please stamp it, CEO.”
“Huh? What’s this… a maknae appointment certificate…?”
“Sigh. I’m officially done as maknae.”
“Oh, the new girl’s younger than you, huh?”
“Good times come to an end, I guess.”
Jin-ah gave a wistful smile, like a retired soldier reminiscing about leading wounded comrades off the battlefield.
Seeing her, Kim Yong mirrored her expression, thinking, ‘This kid’s a real nutcase…’
Across GraceOne and Free Sense, Baek Jin-ah was the artist least intimidated by Kim Yong.
He’d seen plenty of quirky, 4D characters in the industry, many with their own distinct worlds, but Jin-ah’s eccentricity wasn’t a gimmick—it was 100% real.
Probably influenced by her family environment.
Her father’s a sculptor, her mother a travel columnist.
Kim Yong had met them, and they respected Jin-ah’s decisions and values so much they let her, a minor, handle her own contract.
‘Her character’s wild…’
Personally, Kim Yong liked Jin-ah’s bold, bubbly personality.
In an industry where character is life, she was tailor-made—a perfect fit for today’s variety show trends, thriving on absurdity, B-grade humor, and memes.
The problem was her unpredictability.
Her unique character could dominate a season of variety shows if given the right platform, but there was no guarantee her spontaneous antics would always land positively. She was a double-edged sword, making the company constantly wary.
That’s why she hadn’t been pushed onto broadcasts.
The former Free Sense team leader, Lee Sook-young, couldn’t vibe with Jin-ah’s style and subtly disliked her.
They’d considered promoting her on YouTube or online platforms, but back then, the company’s expectations for Free Sense were rock-bottom, and with all focus on the breakout rookie GraceOne, there was no point in shaking things up.
But seeing Jin-ah barge into his office with this absurd certificate, Kim Yong’s perspective shifted.
Her staging an event for the new maknae felt surprisingly charming.
‘She’s 4D, but it’s not off-putting…’
Truthfully, Kim Yong had been worried about Jin-ah joining Free Sense.
Someone with such a strong personal world could frustrate teammates or staff, potentially disrupting teamwork.
Jin-ah herself likely struggled with organizational life.
Yet, seeing her, Lee Seung-ah, and Kwon Ah-hyun manage dorm life well suggested Jin-ah’s social skills weren’t half-bad.
Maybe Seung-ah and Ah-hyun’s experience and tolerance grew from dealing with the members who left, but the fact that the team stayed free of scandals or internal conflict despite tough times was commendable.
With a grave expression, Kim Yong stamped the certificate and casually tried to strike up a conversation.
“Things are about to get busy, huh? Excited for the album?”
“Hyun-jong’s a good guy. Thanks. I’ll swing by again.”
Leaving a slightly offbeat response, Jin-ah glided out of the office with a ghostly swoosh-swoosh vibe.
“Nah, I’ll never get used to her…”
Like a song stuck in your head after karaoke, Jin-ah’s clipped speech and unique word choices lingered in Kim Yong’s ears.
“That kid’s got addictive charm.”
***
Seon-yu dove into intense practice from day one.
Since she skipped the trainee phase and jumped straight into activities, she had to memorize Free Sense’s existing songs and event repertoire in a short time.
Mornings were vocal lessons, afternoons two hours with the dance trainer. Unlike the existing members, who only needed to relearn parts and formations, Seon-yu was pioneering uncharted territory—a daunting mission.
“Seon-yu’s got a lot of catching up to do. She picks up choreography and formations fast, but her fundamentals are almost nonexistent.”
“Yes.”
“After lessons, don’t leave right away. Have the members take turns teaching her.”
But Seon-yu had grit and competitive spirit.
Despite looking exhausted, she never shrank or faltered, burning with energy.
“Unnie, sorry, but could we run through ‘How Do I Look Today’ one more time?”
“Sure, let’s take a five-minute break and do it together.”
Though she wasn’t close with the members yet, that awkwardness was being bridged through practice.
To the members, Seon-yu’s initiative could only be a positive.
Even after formal lessons ended, the three girls willingly stayed to help her with choreography and songs.
Remarkably, former maknae Jin-ah stuck to Seon-yu like a personal coach, guiding her dance lines.
“Ugh… I’m getting confused with the first verse.”
“Yeah, I was too. But keep repeating it, and it’ll come naturally.”
“Wow, the choreography’s so hard for such a chill song. The beats are so broken up…”
The future video arrived just as Seon-yu voiced her first complaint.
I was filming the girls’ practice on the company phone but paused to step outside for a smoke and check the video.
I popped in my AirPods, lit up, and played it.
The past few days’ videos were as useless as a 3,300-won vibrating massager from Daiso, but I hoped today’s would pack some high-protein, high-calorie info.
[HotPlaceTV] The Viral ‘Pippi Toast’ in Front of YeongX High School
“Ugh…”
The thumbnail title and toast picture instantly deflated my hopes.
It was a vlog-style video exploring famous eateries or hot spots.
Up until now, all the important clues had come from idol or entertainment-related channels, so I played the video with low expectations, continuing my smoke break.
It’s only because It’s a future video that I bother watching, hoping for something useful. Otherwise, it’s not worth my time.
[This video was filmed with the owner’s consent.]
After the disclaimer subtitle, the YouTuber walks down the street with a selfie camera, narrating.
They’re heading to a toast shop in front of a high school in Busan, or something like that.
-“They say the grandmother who ran it for over 10 years got sick a few months ago, so now her granddaughter’s taken over. Back when the grandma ran it, it was just you’re average toast, but since the granddaughter stepped in, the taste supposedly changed so much it’s now a line-out-the-door spot. Wow, look, the line’s already forming ahead.”
The camera, previously in selfie mode, pans forward.
-“See the line? It’s not a shop inside a building; it’s a street stall with a permit. But look at this. Notice anything unusual? Most of the people in line are students in school uniforms. And the ratio of boys to girls is overwhelmingly boys. What does that tell you?”
The YouTuber builds engagement with a self-answered question.
-“Exactly. It means the granddaughter’s probably a total beauty.”
A subtitle pops up: [So, the owner’s pretty?]
Even I, watching stone-faced, started getting drawn in.
-“Alright, as a cultured citizen with a high school education, I’ll line up at the back. Some YouTubers use their fame to skip lines, but not me.”
During a lull, the YouTuber interviews high schoolers in line.
-“Hey, do you know who I am?”
-“Uh… HotPlaceTV, right?”
-“Wow! Folks, this is real, not staged. My face is known even in far-off Busan. You’re students at YeongX High School?”
-“Yup!”
-“Come here often for the toast?”
-“Yeah, we’ve been coming every day for a week straight.”
-“Is it that good?”
-“It’s good…”
-“The owner noona’s pretty!”
The high school friends eagerly jump into the interview, and a subtitle reads: [Eyes, I’m dying!]
Exactly, exactly.
Every school has that café, PC bang, or convenience store where business booms because the part-timer’s cute or handsome.
My friends used to skip the nearby PC bang to go to one with a pretty worker, only to end up staring at their screens the whole time anyway.
-“Yup, as the kids said, this place is famous for its toast, but also because the owner noona’s gorgeous. Just how pretty is she to have all these boys lining up? I’m really curious.”
The video speeds up 3x as the line shrinks fast, and finally, it’s the YouTuber’s turn to order.
They turn the camera back to their face and ask the owner, “Excuse me, I’m filming for YouTube. Is it okay to shoot?”
-“Yeah, it’s fine.”
-“Is it okay to show your face?”
-“Hehehe, sure.”
I couldn’t see how pretty her face was yet, but her Busan accent and bubbly laugh were full of charm. Then, as the camera slowly pans to reveal the owner’s face—
[Ad ends in 5 seconds.]
“Are you kidding me…!”
After skipping the ad, the face of the toast shop owner appears.
“Huh…?”
It’s none other than the fifth member introduced for Free Sense…
-“So, the shop’s called ‘Pippi Toast.’ What does ‘Pippi’ mean?”
-“Oh, the students came up with it. My name’s Oh Woo-ya. They said it’s like combining the vowels ㅗㅜㅑ, which makes ‘Pippi.’”
It was Woo-ya.
I wasn’t sure just from her face, but the unique name “Woo-ya” confirmed it.
Wait, her last name’s Oh?
-“Wow, that’s a really unique name. Is it your real name?”
-“Yup. I was born on a rainy night, so my grandpa named me Woo-ya (Rainy Night).”
Is this poetic or just hipster?
The naming sense, as straightforward as naming a kid “Dog Poop” or “Mak-rye,” left me a bit dazed.
Still, Woo-ya’s name does feel unique and pretty.
More than that, her looks and figure were straight-up ‘ㅗㅜㅑ’.
[TL Note: “ㅗㅜㅑ” – This isn’t an actual Korean word. It’s Korean keyboard slang / reaction sound used online. When type ㅗㅜㅑ, it looks like a little sexy curve / body line if you imagine the shapes.
People use it in chats, comics, or memes when something is sexy, hot, or attractive.
So it’s more like a reaction emoji than a word.
👉 Rough meaning: “Damn, that’s hot!” or “Whoa, sexy!”]
In the earlier future video, I focused on her fully made-up face and didn’t notice, but her bust is no joke.
Whether intentional or not, she’s wearing a T-shirt that shows off her cleavage with the slightest lean. Her subtly visible hips and leg lines are bold too.
A soft, innocent face paired with an explosive midsection and physique.
Classic “bagel” (baby face, glamorous body) vibes.
No wonder the boys are clocking in daily.
-“Maybe I had too high expectations, but honestly, the toast wasn’t anything special. Just a bit thicker than your average street toast. But here’s what I think: service is a big part of what makes a hot spot. So, I’m giving ‘Pippi Toast’ three and a half stars. Three for the taste, and an extra half for the owner’s amazing attitude. I’m not just saying this because she’s pretty—her expression and voice were so kind and warm despite being busy.”
The video ended.
The upload date is just a week from now.
Since she took over the shop a few months ago due to her grandma’s illness, she’s likely still running it.
I immediately searched for “Pippi Toast” to pinpoint its location.
Google easily turned up photos of Oh Woo-ya.
I downloaded a few of her best shots and sent a message to Team Leader Jeon Min-yong.
Me: [Team Leader, what do you think of her?]
Jeon Min-yong: [Oh, my type.]
Jeon Min-yong: [Who is she?]
Me: [What about her as Free Sense’s final member?]
Jeon Min-yong: [LOL, what, you holding a beauty pageant?]