Hide Away

Chapter 1: And So She Hides!

There it was again. The same silver car sitting just a few blocks away from where Setsuko was staying. For the past two months, the same car had appeared wherever Setsuko went, from her house, to the gym, even at the grocery store. Though only recently had it started to appear parked a block away from her doorstep, and that's when Setsuko knew that something was wrong. As a J-pop idol, she was used to people following her out of her concerts for a handshake or an autograph, but someone following her every move when she was just trying to get through her normal day made her feel vulnerable, unsafe. Of course, it wasn't until a few days ago when Setsuko had realized that she needed to get away.

After a concert, she had come home to her house door unlocked and her front door ajar. Stepping inside she saw that her house was a total mess, and upstairs her room had been completely torn apart, her undergarments were strewn across her floor and there was a note on her bed with two words written on it. 'You're mine'

The police were called that night as Setsuko finally had reason to believe that someone was following her, and she had been relocated to a motel an hour away from her home. At first, she believed that it was successful, and the police would catch whoever had broken into her home.

But that morning her hope had been diminished as the same silver car appeared in the parking lot that morning. Somehow, whoever was following her had found out she wasn't living at her house and found the exact motel she had been staying in.

The moment she laid her eyes on the car she stepped back from the window and reached towards her side table searching for her phone, knocking a few things off in the process. She flipped her phone and dialed a familiar number, placing the phone to her hear.

"Akemi? Is everything all right?" A male's voice over the phone asked.

"Kuwata, they found me. I don't know how, but the car's right outside and-" She said, her voice shaking and her words slurred.

"Woah, woah, Akemi slow down. Take a deep breath and calm down."

Setsuko paused and took a deep breath; she could still feel her heart beating in her chest, but she could think a bit more clearly now. "The car's back, right out in the parking lot. What do I do?"

There was a short silence on the other end of the phone, "Akemi, listen to me carefully, I'll be right there to pick you up. Pack your things and try to hide your appearance as much as you can without being suspicious. I'll send you a text when I've arrived. Until then stay away from any windows and do not leave your room. The motel management won't give out your room information. Just sit tight and wait for my text."

Setsuko's hand tightened around her phone, and she nodded, even though the person on the other line wouldn't see it. "I understand. Please, just get here quickly." Once the line went dead, Setsuko lowered her hand and looked at the phone, her mind wondering as she waited for the front screen to flash with Kuwata's text.

Being an idol had always been Setsuko's dream, not to mention her mother's as well. When she had her debut two years ago as 'Momoko' after training her ass off for a few years she had been ecstatic, and as she watched her ranking steadily rise and she had felt like she was so close to accomplishing her dream of being a top idol. If she had known then what would happen to her, she'd have tried to step out before it was too late, but now she was ranked the fourth most popular idol, and it was practically impossible for her to step out now.

She took a deep breath and slapped her cheeks to snap herself out of her thoughts. Enough regretting life choices, she had to get ready. Grabbing a change of clothes, she tied up her hair and slid on some sunglasses, concealing the most unique part of her being- her turquoise eyes.