Chapter 43 - I Know a Good Place

A quiet cafe on the edge of Yeouido.

As he was sitting and waiting in a seat where the spacing was wide and privacy was guaranteed, a click-clacking sound was heard.

“……”

Baek Hyeon-woo raised his head.

Then, a purple one-piece dress with an intense presence entered his vision.

It was a fashion that ordinary people wouldn't even dare to try wearing... the kind you would only see in a magazine.

However, it wasn't that he felt a sense of disharmony.

Watching her walk confidently in his direction, he thought that it suited her very well.

Just as much as the neat attire he had seen at the broadcasting station.

“Hello, PD-nim.”

“……”

PD Yoo Seon-hee accepted his greeting with just a silent nod of her head.

And after sitting in the seat opposite him, she looked at Baek Hyeon-woo's face.

“When I work, I prefer an ordinarily neat outfit. Because it's more comfortable to work that way.”

Yoo Seon-hee said, crossing her legs.

“However, when I'm off-duty, I want to wear the fashion I like. It's my private life, so there's no need to worry about anyone's gaze, right?”

“……”

Certainly, if she went around the broadcasting station in this kind of fashion, there would be people talking behind her back.

Because even in Baek Hyeon-woo's view, the major broadcasting stations seemed to have a conservative side.

However, if it's what she wears in her private life, there's no problem.

“These kinds of shoes too, if I wore them to the broadcasting station, I'd get gossiped about, 'who wears something like that these days'.”

Saying that, Yoo Seon-hee directed her gaze toward her feet.

What she was wearing right now... was a pair of stiletto heels.

“Still, I like this kind of style. No matter what anyone says, this is my taste.”

In Yoo Seon-hee's remark, her own firm worldview could be felt.

During her usual work, she wears outfits that match the workplace atmosphere, but in her private life, she freely pursues the fashion she likes.

You could call that a wonderful hobby that should be respected.

“But… how on earth did you know?”

Yoo Seon-hee asked, looking at Baek Hyeon-woo's face.

“The fact that I wear high heels when I'm off-duty, and that my back and shoulders aren't well... how did you figure that out?”

Yoo Seon-hee asked again, massaging her own shoulder.

“I heard you came here after working in the medical field, is it related to that?”

“PD-nim.”

Baek Hyeon-woo carefully opened his mouth.

“Before I answer... may I confirm just one thing?”

“What is it?”

“I'm sorry, but I looked into your career history a bit, PD-nim.”

Apologizing with a bow of his head, he brought up the story he had found out by searching on the internet.

“It seems you joined HBS right after graduating from university. And have been continuously working in broadcasting.”

“Yeah, I did this and that, and now I'm doing 'Music World'.”

“However…”

Baek Hyeon-woo asked, looking at Yoo Seon-hee's face.

“By any chance, did you also sing in the past?”

“……”

A change occurred in Yoo Seon-hee's expression, which had remained the same until now.

On her consistently cold face... a red blush appeared.

“Ugh…”

Yoo Seon-hee, who let out a groan while covering her face with both hands.

Next to her head, a status window was displayed.

***

“I participated in the University Song Festival...”

Yoo Seon-hee, who couldn't say anything for a good while, said, avoiding Baek Hyeon-woo's gaze.

“The University Song Festival?”

“I wonder if your generation would know it?”

“No, I do know of it, but...”

The University Song Festival is a music competition that has been going on since the 70s.

It gained great popularity by pursuing fresh songs unique to university students, differentiated from the established pop music.

“As the music industry developed, it gradually declined, and as audition programs became popular, its presence completely disappeared... but in the old days, it was one of the main gateways to becoming a singer.”

“So you participated in it. Then the result was...”

“If the result had been good, do you think I'd be here like this now?”

“I'm sorry.”

Yoo Seon-hee glared at Baek Hyeon-woo with sharp eyes.

However, she immediately let out a sigh and drooped her shoulders.

“Back then, I was also a university student full of dreams in my own way. I was burning with the ambition to have my tastes and my worldview acknowledged through song. Though the result was disastrous.”

“……”

At the broadcasting station, she seemed so cold and chic.

The sight of Yoo Seon-hee confessing her dark history was like that of a person who'd had a drink.

“A few years ago, the broadcasting station uploaded the video archives of all the past song festivals onto YouTube, so I watched the one I was on once... I really couldn't bear to watch it with my eyes open.”

“Ah, can you still watch the video now?”

“I'm telling you just in case, but absolutely do not look it up.”

Yoo Seon-hee glared at him with sharp eyes again.

“No one at the broadcasting station knows that I participated in the University Song Festival. So please keep this a secret.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Baek Hyeon-woo nodded.

He had only asked for the sake of confirmation anyway, so there was no reason to spread this story to others.

‘Now the mystery is solved.’

Having resolved his curiosity, Baek Hyeon-woo gazed at the side of Yoo Seon-hee's face.

A status window was displayed there, just like with the singers.

The reason Baek Hyeon-woo had spoken to Yoo Seon-hee at the broadcasting station and handed her a business card was because he could see that status window.

‘Was it because she had participated in the University Song Festival that the status window was visible?’

The status window doesn't only appear for active singers.

The status window also appears for Baek Yeon-ah and Tae Jong-soo, who retired more than ten years ago.

He could also see the status window on Yoo Jeong-ah and Han Se-ri, who hadn't even debuted yet.

‘As expected, it seems the status window appears as long as one has entered the process of becoming a pro singer.’

Like becoming a trainee at an entertainment agency, or participating in a broadcasting station's song festival or audition program.

If it's a person who has gone through the official process in that way, the status window appears even if they haven't debuted.

That's why the status window is also visible on Yoo Seon-hee, who only participated in the University Song Festival a long time ago.

“Then have you liked high-heeled shoes since those days?”

“Yeah, I also wore high heels on stage during the University Song Festival and fell... ah.”

Yoo Seon-hee, who was rambling, made an expression as if she had made a mistake.

“Forget what I just said.”

“Yes, I've forgotten.”

“……”

This person, unlike her cold appearance at the broadcasting station, seems to have a bit of a clumsy side.

“Actually, the reason I brought up high-heeled shoes... was because when I saw you at the broadcasting station, PD-nim, you had a Super-S frame.”

“Super-S?”

Yoo Seon-hee blinked at the unfamiliar word.

“Is that different from an S-line?”

“It's similar. The S-line is a term that refers to the beauty of the side-profile line that goes down the back, waist, and pelvis, right?”

“Yeah. Originally it's a fashion term. It was about making an S-shape by making the back relaxed, tightening the waist, and having the skirt follow the body shape.”

It was an explanation befitting Yoo Seon-hee, who is usually very interested in fashion.

Baek Hyeon-woo nodded and slowly began his explanation.

“Originally, it's natural for a person's spine to draw an S-shape when seen from the side.”

The spine is not a straight line but is curved in an S-shape.

If this S-shape is lost due to bad posture, various spinal disorders occur.

“However, there are people for whom this S-shape is excessive.”

“Excessive?”

“The head comes forward, making the curve of the back more severe, and as the stomach is pushed out, the curve of the lower back also becomes more severe... and as the butt sticks out, the pelvis is also in a more tilted state.”

“……!”

Yoo Seon-hee flinched in surprise.

“You know what turtle neck is, right? The state where the neck is pushed forward.”

“Yeah, I have a bit of a turtle neck too.”

“A body type where the neck is pushed forward like a turtle neck and the upper back is hunched backward is called a sway-back, and a Super-S is a body type where, on top of that, the lower back is also curved forward. That's why it looks like you're sticking your stomach out.”

At Baek Hyeon-woo's explanation, Yoo Seon-hee reflexively hid her stomach.

“If it's an S-line, the waist is simply cinched, but in a Super-S, the lower back is pushed forward, so the stomach is in a state of protruding.”

“Hmm…”

Yoo Seon-hee's expression darkened.

She herself would know well what her current body type is, even without Baek Hyeon-woo explaining in detail.

“However... this Super-S often appears in women who frequently wear high-heeled shoes.”

“……!”

When you wear high heels, your butt goes up.

When the butt goes up, an anterior pelvic tilt occurs, where the pelvis tilts forward.

When the pelvis tilts forward, the lumbar spine also curves forward, becoming a lumbar lordosis, and then because the body leans forward, to correct that, the thoracic spine curves backward, becoming a thoracic kyphosis.

It becomes a Super-S that is more curved than a normal S-shape.

“If the S-shape of the spine becomes severe, pain appears in the shoulders or back. You, PD-nim, have probably had chronic pain.”

“Hmm…”

In front of the groaning Yoo Seon-hee, Baek Hyeon-woo checked the status window once more.

––––––––

[Yoo Seon-hee]

Vocal: D

Dance: F

Visual: E-

Potential: F

Body Condition: 60%

Mental Condition: 75%

– Pain is occurring due to thoracic kyphosis of the trunk.

– Pain is occurring due to lumbar lordosis of the trunk.

– Pain is occurring due to anterior pelvic tilt of the trunk.

– Body Condition is slightly lowered.

– A minus correction is being applied to Visual.

––––––––

Thoracic kyphosis would cause stiff shoulders, and lumbar lordosis and anterior pelvic tilt would cause lower back pain.

Baek Hyeon-woo compared the contents of this status window with Yoo Seon-hee's body type and made the diagnosis of a Super-S frame.

“If you get an X-ray at a hospital that does skeletal analysis, you will probably hear a similar story.”

“I suppose so. I've had only my back X-rayed, but never my entire body...”

Yoo Seon-hee made a dejected expression.

“All this time, I just took painkillers when it hurt... I didn't know I had such a problem.”

“Since it's a symptom that appears due to a skeletal problem, it won't be resolved by taking medicine.”

“Then what should I do from now on?”

Yoo Seon-hee asked, leaning her body forward.

“As expected... I can't wear high heels?”

“It's probably not good.”

Baek Hyeon-woo said, nodding his head.

“I want to respect your taste, but... since it's clear that it has a bad effect on your body, it's best to refrain if possible.”

“Phew…”

Yoo Seon-hee squeezed her eyes shut and let out a sigh.

“Yeah, well... honestly, I'm getting older now, and it's also a fact that high-heeled shoes are uncomfortable...”

After experiencing some internal conflict while muttering to herself for a while, Yoo Seon-hee opened her eyes again.

“I can't wear high heels, and what else should I do?”

“Well. From here, at a hospital...”

Baek Hyeon-woo deliberately trailed off like that.

At that, Yoo Seon-hee narrowed her eyes.

“You're more reliable than a hospital, Hyeon-woo-ssi.”

“……”

“Hyeon-woo-ssi.”

Yoo Seon-hee said, interlocking her fingers.

“There has to be give and take. If you help me, Hyeon-woo-ssi, I can also provide you with various favors.”

“Would that be alright?”

“If my body gets better, my work efficiency will get better too. It's only natural to compensate you for helping with my work.”

Many entertainment agencies try their damnedest to get on Yoo Seon-hee's good side.

They put forward school or regional connections, launch gift offensives, and even put forward handsome male idols to make them act cute.

Hoping that Yoo Seon-hee would use her power as the 'Music World' PD to repay them.

However, cases where Yoo Seon-hee repaid them as much as they had tried were rare.

Because if she took care of every single one of those things, she wouldn't be able to properly make the broadcast.

That same Yoo Seon-hee was now promising to repay Baek Hyeon-woo.

And she was the one who brought it up first, at that.

“I'll make sure you're not disappointed, so could you help me out, Hyeon-woo-ssi?”

“Understood. I will help you myself.”

Baek Hyeon-woo's objective is clear.

To create a connection with Yoo Seon-hee so that Newstarz can appear on 'Music World' under good conditions in the future.

Because getting Yoo Seon-hee's cooperation is the best way to receive preferential treatment in pre-recordings and such.

Choi Tae-hyung had thought that Baek Hyeon-woo had done something strange to Yoo Seon-hee without any thought, but Baek Hyeon-woo had approached Yoo Seon-hee from the beginning to create this kind of situation.

“Then let's move to another location.”

Seo Dong-cheol's problem was his wrist, but Yoo Seon-hee's problem is her entire skeleton.

To perform treatment, a suitable space and facilities are needed.

“I know a good place.”

***

The old part of Yeongdeungpo, not far from Yeouido.

Yoo Seon-hee, who had arrived in front of a shabby building on a back road, felt bewildered.

Because the place Baek Hyeon-woo had brought her to was very strange.

“This is the good place?”

“It's on the second floor. Let's go up.”

Yoo Seon-hee checked the sign attached to the second floor.

"[Tong Tong Rehabilitation Clinic]...?"

The sign looked very old.

She had never once set foot in such a shabby hospital.

Because she usually only goes to hospitals that are cleanly and luxuriously decorated.

“Watch your step.”

“……”

Going up to the second floor and opening the hospital door, the inside was deserted.

There wasn't a single patient in the waiting room.

Even at the reception desk, there wasn't a nurse sitting there.

“……?”

As Yoo Seon-hee was looking around.

Suddenly, a scream was heard from inside.

“Agh!”

“……!”

Yoo Seon-hee flinched at the unexpected scream.

“Wh-What was that?”

“It seems there's a patient. Please wait a moment.”

Baek Hyeon-woo went inside by himself.

Right after that, a scream was heard once again.

“Gyaaaak!”

Clatter, Thud!

A strange sound was also heard along with it.

It was a sound she was hearing for the first time in her life, and it also sounded like a heavy object was falling.

“Hwaaargh...!”

Clatter, Thud! Clatter, Thud-thud!

Along with the desperate screams, a fear-inducing sound was continuously heard.

Is this a hospital, or a torture chamber?

Yoo Seon-hee was backpedaling when the heel of her high heel got caught in a crack in the floor, and she almost fell.