1.*

Ever since my brother chased his dreams, I’ve felt stuck in a void—nothing is moving up or down, right or wrong. He was the best older brother anyone could ever ask for, but good memories fade all too quickly.

My brother wanted to be a rapper, to make it big in the music world, to share our gifts with the universe.

But our parents were fiercely opposed to his ambitions, especially our father, who would argue with him relentlessly about his dreams and future plans.

They believed his pursuit would lead only to heartache and disappointment. The arguments escalated to the point where our father threatened to disown him, to cut him off from his will and inheritance if he didn’t abandon his dreams immediately.

But the threats didn't work.

The last time I saw my brother, he stood at the front door, bag slung over his shoulder, suitcase in hand, resolute in his determination not to give up.

I remembered standing behind my mother, clutching onto my necklace as he made it clear that our parents might not realize it yet, but they had lost a son.

After he walked out, we realized he had left behind a signed contract promising to take our mother’s maiden name once our father signed it, which our father did the moment the door closed.

My mother and I were shattered by his departure, and I could never forgive my father for forcing him to leave our home.

From that moment on, my parents' arguments grew more frequent, slowly tearing their relationship apart.

There were mornings when my father would sleep in the guestroom, ignoring us completely.

My mother stopped cooking, choosing instead to take me out for meals or to her friend Sumi's houses for dinner, trying to avoid being in the same space as my father whenever she could.

Gradually, he became more absent from my life, leaving early and returning late, a ghost in our own home.

It became clear that he had developed a drinking problem and was seeing another woman regularly.

One day, after returning home from an audition, my mother and I stumbled upon my father with that same woman in their bedroom.

My mother was devastated, crying for days, unable to bear the sight of him bringing that woman into our home and leaving everything in chaos.

She had supported him through everything, but this was the final straw. The sounds of their fights in the night were unbearable for me.

All my mother could do was hold me close, her soothing voice trying to drown out the chaos, singing me to sleep and transporting me to a dreamland far away from our reality.

A year later, when their case went to court, my mother emerged victorious, securing a divorce and custody of me. She quickly whisked me away to another country when she learned I had passed my audition.

Upon our arrival, the company that had auditioned me wasted no time summoning me. I was thrust into a grueling training regimen, pushing myself to the limit in pursuit of my dreams.

As time went on, I met three other girls who had also made the cut. The oldest, Kim Aera, Kim Han-na and Park Chae-won. Together, we trained relentlessly, day and night, striving for excellence.

We were set to debut as a new girl group in a couple of years, with no room for complacency.

Our bond deepened as we shared our experiences, slowly revealing our personal stories.

While the two eldest members came from complete and happy families, the second youngest, Park Chae-won and I quickly connected over our shared struggles, particularly her mother’s infidelity and subsequent abandonment of her father.

Our friendship evolved into *sisterhood*.

After years of hard work, we finally debuted as 'OSP: Outer Space Princesses,' marking the beginning of our journey.

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