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AERA DREW IN A DEEP BREATH, HANDS SQUIRMING IN HER LAP AS THE SILENCE IN THE CAR BLURRED HER FOCUS. She was heading toward the restaurant, nervously. After the girls had helped her get ready, she felt a lot more comfortable. She felt beautiful and like herself. Every time she looked in the mirror, she would wink and feel at home. But the moment she left the comfort of their dorm and sat in the Uber car, she felt out of place. How were they going to think? Would she even fit in? What if they think she's strange? She was about to drown further into her thoughts when her phone buzzed in her lap.
The light illuminated her features in the darkness, almost painfully blinding her. She blinked before focusing her attention on the notification. Her heart swelled at the username, eyes widening in surprise. She lifted the phone up to her face to better read the message. "Awe," she whispered to herself as her head fell back against the headrest of her seat. The action attracted the attention of her driver, a middle aged man with a five o'clock shadow and a glossed balm over his lips. He glanced into the rearview mirror to catch a glimpse of the smile that raided her features. "Text from a boyfriend, hm?" he questioned, tearing the girl from her blissful state of happiness.
Her eyes snapped toward the mirror where she met his eyes. Her smile faltered for only a second before she shook her head. "No. Just a friend," she replied. "I'm going to my first cast dinner." His eyebrows rose for a moment before a sudden look of recognition dawned across his face. "Oh! You're part of a girl group, right? White Rose?" Dread filled her bones as she nodded her head. Being recognized was part of the lifestyle, but there was always a part of her that missed the normalcy from before. "My niece loves your music. Would you mind taking a picture or video for her?"
She wanted to say no. She locked her phone, letting the light fade until it turned black. He must have been able to tell that she was going to refuse. "You don't have to, of course," he added. "It would just mean a lot." She bit down on her lip, unafraid of the transfer of her lipstick, and glanced toward the lights outside the window. What could a picture hurt? "How old is she?" she asked, genuinely curious. She turned back to notice the shocked look on his face. "She's thirteen," he replied. "And her name?" She moved the buckle from her chest and leaned forward in her seat.
"Yeseul." She reached over and he scrambled to hand the phone to her. But she took it happily and pushed the camera icon. "Do you mind if I turn this light on?" she asked upon spotting herself in the camera. He motioned for her to do so and she quickly pushed the light on. Her face lit up on the screen and once she was satisfied with the angle, she became. "Ah, Yeseul-ah. Study hard and chase after your dreams, okay? White Rose loves you very much! Thank you for the support. We hope to meet you soon. Bye!~" She happily recorded the message before blowing a kiss to the camera and stopping the video. In the front seat, she could tell that the driver was very happy.
