“Hey guys, make sure to grab your passports and don’t lose them. And when you arrive in Korea the day after tomorrow, we’re heading straight to the shop. You all know that, right?”
According to the schedule, returning to Korea meant starting the day with a music video shoot right at dawn.
“Is Na-eun going to be okay? There’s a vocal live as soon as we arrive.”
“Yeah, my voice is all clear. I’ll sleep well on the plane.”
It’s time to appear on the comeback promotion broadcast.
Honestly, staying in the U.S. for over two weeks right before the comeback felt a bit too long.
“Oh, I really want to eat Korean food.”
Kim Seo-yoon, who used to be all about brunch and Americanos every morning, was now whining too.
“I want Korean food. Korean food. Korean food.”
It seemed that having eaten Korean food once or twice wasn’t enough to satisfy them.
“What happened to being a New Yorker or whatever?”
“What did you just say? Huh, what?”
Hmm.
“Actually, that’s true. I think I’m just all about kimchi. To the bone.”
“What!? Kim Seo-yoon!”
“What’s your deal?”
Seo-yoon Unni, who was demanding attention non-stop, and Chiyo Unni, who was even more than that, suddenly interrupted.
“Are you trying to erase my identity?”
“What?”
It was a perfect moment to toss Kim Seo-yoon’s whining over to Chiyo Unni.
“Were you that jealous!?”
“How is kimchi your identity?”
I should hurry and escape to Na-eun Unni.
“Do-hee, they’re staring at us from over there…”
“Yeah?”
As I ran over to Na-eun Unni, I snuck a glance in the direction she was signaling.
“Eh!?”
“At the end of the day, even if it’s kimchi, I’m the native, and you’re sushi.”
“Still, I pay my taxes in Korea every year!”
“I pay more taxes than you.”
This side?
“No, the ones behind.”
Ah, it definitely looked like those foreigners over there were glancing at us subtly.
“I don’t know! I want to eat Korean food too! Korean food!”
“Alright, just have your kimchi.”
“No, today Woo-ah is the kimchi.”
“Me?”
“What are you even saying?”
“Right. I made eye contact.”
“Guys, let’s keep it down a bit. I think it’s too loud.”
Of course, it was those two making the noise, but I thought it would mix in okay with the airport sounds.
“Isn’t it just that they’re staring because I’m pretty?”
“Eh!? Do-hee Lee!”
“What’s your deal?”
I just made eye contact with them again.
“Um… well, I guess.”
And while Chiyo Unni was about to counter and then nodded in agreement, a cautious blonde man stood up and approached us.
“I admit our youngest is cute, but I’m a bit more mature…”
The man hesitated for a moment as he reached us.
“Um, well, yeah. Sure, our youngest is really mature too, but I’m just a bit prettier…”
He still seemed unsure as he carefully talked to me.
[Could it be…]
I’m Do-hee Lee, five years into my debut.
I absolutely couldn’t be unaware of this reaction.
[Isn’t this a debonaire?]
Since the talk show aired the day before yesterday, I’ve already received that question four or five times.
Given that my movement was strictly limited to the hotel, filming location, and today’s airport, there wasn’t much chance to be recognized.
You see,
[Yes, that’s right. How…]
Of course, there were some existing K-pop fans who recognized them.
[I told you, they are them!]
This person was clearly not.
[I’m a true fan. I found out not long ago, but I love the stage so much, and I’m listening to every single song! Look! This is my playlist!]
Considering that, it definitely feels like their recognition has increased in the U.S. over the last few days.
[I didn’t expect to run into you here!]
Honestly, it wasn’t exactly an unexpected situation.
I felt a bit fluttery for some reason.
*
─Knock knock
On the flight back to Korea.
I lowered the partition with a knock on the side.
“Why?”
“Heart.”
Woo-ah Unni, sitting right next to me, was sticking her toes out this way.
“……?”
She wiggled her big toe that was sticking out.
“Toe heart.”
“……”
“What do you think? I was thinking about making a finger heart at the airport and suddenly remembered this.”
I raised the partition again.
“Oh come on. Play with me, I’m awake now.”
I was too hungry for my solitary free time to entertain nonsense.
*
“Unni, at least do a toe heart properly for me.”
“Huh? What’s that?”
There were an unprecedented number of reporters at the airport.
─Miss Woo-ah, you’re a huge topic in America!
─Look this way, please!
─Seo-yoon! Do-hee!
─Na-eun, did you have a good trip to America~?
There were plenty of fans, but it felt like some people were just gawking without knowing who was coming in. Of course, later on, they all recognized us and shoved their phones forward.
─Oh, Mom Debonaire, Debonaire!
─It’s Do-hee!
In other words, there was a massive crowd.
“I don’t know about toe hearts…”
“Why are you tormenting our innocent Woo-ah like this!”
“Maybe innocent?.”
“Huh?”
“Quickly move out now!”
It was clear that more reporters were piling up, and the security guards were busier and more urgent than they were during departure, leading the way. This was an indicator that the schedules in the U.S. had created quite a buzz back in Korea.
‘Should I take a little time to surf the internet again?’
Since starting to write songs, I’ve been trying not to search as much for mental health reasons, so I couldn’t personally check how much buzz there was, which was a bit disappointing.
“Do-hee, how was your trip~?”
“Ah, reporter, long time no see in two weeks. Hello.”
“Oh, I really enjoyed your appearance on Colin’s show! Everyone was so surprised. They said the reactions were hot even in the U.S., how did you feel about it personally?”
But anyway, the unnies must have seen everything earlier on, so I didn’t mind it coming in that way naturally through my ears.
“Ah~ so you ran into a fan at the airport on your way here!”
“Yeah, one fan said my personal favorite, the fourth track, is their favorite too─.”
We hurriedly responded to the reporters we met, nodding our heads like crazy so we could finally get in the car.
It was only then that everyone found their ease, and Seo-yoon Unni flopped down jokingly calling out to the Manager.
“Young-ho ham~ you didn’t announce our arrival, did you?”
Originally, it was supposed to be a secret entry.
“I didn’t, I was just surprised because there were so many people.”
Today, Team Leader Young-ho, who was sitting in the passenger seat, glanced at the Road Manager, who was cautiously mumbling while gripping the steering wheel.
“Yoon-chae, are you sure you didn’t leak anything? Was there a schedule leak that we missed?”
Yoon-chae, one of the new employees brought in for recent staffing increases, was in the driver’s seat.
“No, the managers all maintained strict security…”
Being new, she couldn’t help but look even more tense and shake her head.
Honestly, this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened.
“Wasn’t it just something that slipped out from the side with a schedule? Today’s a day when everyone has their own schedules, so it seems like there was a slip about filming today.”
Young-ho stopped making a serious face and smiled at me.
“Is that so?”
“Yeah, before coming here, I was photographed at the airport while leaving.”
It’s easy to guess the entry time.
“But still, someone among the company staff might not have kept their mouth shut, so I’ll check on that.”
“Okay~”
Then Seo-yoon Unni gazed over and poked me.
“But you’ve been acting like a saint since that talk show? Did you see the comments on your talk show shorts?”
“Huh? Comments?”
“You know, how everything you say is deep and mature… Those people are out of their minds… well, of course, our air is definitely sane. You’re the one with the problem.”
Seo-yoon Unni made a very grim expression.
But I wanted to tell her this.
“Sister, it’s my true nature. People often have preconceptions that distort their perception of others…”
“Damn it…”
Please don’t be sensitive to my new routine of maintaining a calm state to write peaceful music. Hmph.
“Sister, originally, people come empty-handed and leave empty-handed. One must savor the world with the spirit of non-attachment…”
“But Do-hee, what’s your concept? Religion?”
“Rahiism, Rahiism.”
“That’s not a concept!”
Excuse me, Miss Woo-ah.
What even is Rahiism?
“Oh, if I could just relax like Do-hee, I’d act like that too, sigh.”
“Huh, Do-hee doesn’t have a schedule today?”
“You didn’t play with me on the plane because you had something today!”
“…Do-hee?”
Wait, how did my schedule leak to Kim Seo-yoon?
I quickly turned my head to look at the front passenger seat.
Team Leader Young-ho was laughing.
There are only two people who know my schedule.
The director and that uncle.
So, this person must be the leaker.
“Manager, then they’re not going to the shop today, right?”
“Right~?”
But before reprimanding the aide, I had to calm the angry crowd first.
“First of all, there’s something I need to announce to the sisters. Unfortunately… Do-hee won’t be promoting this time.”
“Not even for group promotions?”
“Of course, group promotions are just a couple at most.”
“I thought so. That’s fine.”
If I don’t go at all, people will start to worry.
If I don’t go out, people will worry.
“Anyway, I told the Director that I want to focus on the work this time.”
“Do-hee-chan, we’ve already finished this album, haven’t we?”
“Right, we didn’t even come back this time, so what are you saying?”
As expected, it wasn’t getting through at all.
“Next album is supposed to be a full-length, right? I need to write several songs in advance, haha.”
“Weren’t you saying the full-length album is scheduled for next year? Isn’t there plenty of time? I don’t even know how the comeback will go right now.”
That said, it wasn’t like my older sisters were probing me because they were mad that I wasn’t promoting; that was totally not it.
Just looking at their tone of voice, it was obvious.
Rather, there was a hint of worry for sure.
─My mind is completely all over the place…
─Don’t say I can do it so easily.
─Stop putting pressure on me, seriously.
I guess since I had grumbled multiple times about how hard it was to work on this album’s tracks.
─“Inspiration, why call? I saw a pair of chicks playing in the backyard!”
─“I’m crazy! Really crazy!”
─“I must be crazy, spinning like a hamster!”
The members probably still worried about my mental fatigue.
In that situation, if I said I’d start working on the full-length album, my older sisters would be understandably concerned.
Of course, it would be a bold-faced lie to say I had no fatigue.
“Honestly, it’s a bit tiring to write songs right now. I’m just a person.”
“Right, let’s just take it easy this time.”
But before I’m ever a person, I’m always just a Real Idol showing a composed face to the members. Plus, there was another big reason.
“Actually, it’s because of studying.”
“Studying?”
Unfortunately, with the album preparation and heading to America right after, I didn’t have any time to go to the testing center.
“You know that mock exam, right?”
“Mock exam? Oh, in June?”
So, I had no choice but to lock myself in my room right before the US schedule, timing myself while solving it.
“But… I got a lot wrong, more than I thought.”
“Really? You?”
“I got a few wrong.”
Oh no, how did I…
Clearly, I had used all my brain capacity on the song-making.
“Of course, this isn’t me going to the test center and doing it properly.”
“So how many?”
“Why is the great Do-hee laying this out?”
“Do-hee, did you get that many wrong?”
Excluding the Road Manager holding the steering wheel, even Manager Young-ho looked my way.
Sighing, I slowly raised one hand.
“Well, five?”
“…Just that?”
“Really?”
Just that?
“If Manager Young-ho, how about five wrong answers?”
“I’m not sure… I mean, wouldn’t you go to med school or something? Korean University, perhaps.”
Oh, and I slyly folded one more finger.
“…Four?”
Folded another.
“You’re really in trouble.”
“Manager, please quickly schedule Do-hee’s program.”
Sigh, I had never gotten more than one wrong on an official test.
At this rate, my mom might really disown me.
My mom is too mean; I hate her.
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