Diary of a Kpop idol

Chapter 07

September 15- September 30

The biggest shock I discovered after knowing I have a brother was that Hyunjin, the "girl-like" boy I met years ago, was Hyunjin from Stray Kids. He was overjoyed to realize I was the same person he’d befriended back then. At first, he was nervous around me, but once the ice was broken, he became playful, constantly teasing or flirting whenever he could, even showing off in front of his members.

My parents had several social obligations during their visit, so I ended up accompanying them to meet their friends and business partners. One meeting, in particular, stood out. Ivan and I made a new friend who was six years older than me and five years older than Ivan and his name is Yeonjun.

My parents mentioned we’d met his family before, but I couldn’t recall. We hit it off right away, mainly because we both liked Overwatch. I’m not a hardcore gamer, but thanks to my second cousin, I knew a thing or two about it. Ivan did not, and I tried my best not to give Ivan the feeling of being ignored or left out.

We even made plans to meet again soon, and I visited their house when my mom wanted to catch up with his mother. We met twice in person this month, and by the third time, we had exchanged numbers. Funny enough, I hadn’t realized Yeonjun was in the same company as my second cousin, Jungkook. Small world.

Throughout the month, I also made time to visit Taeyong at his company, or he’d stop by my training sessions whenever he had a break. Our bond as siblings remained as strong as ever. And the sibling war eventually started. The quiet Ivan was very over-protective and over-possessive around Taeyong and would not leave me for a minute. When I thought Taeyong was mature enough, but actually, he was worse than Ivan.

I handed over five song drafts to JYP for a girl group, though I made sure to tell them not to use my lyrics as Yeim. I write and produce under the name "Azera," a combination of my English name, Zara, and Hera, the Greek goddess who has always inspired me, and overall name meaning "she who walks in the sea."

My mom’s influence as a designer also contributed to my involvement in creative fields, like runway modeling, though I’ve never cared too much about the reputation that comes with it.

Speaking of Lily, she was already famous not for being an SM rookie, but for her incredible talent as a figure skater. Her reputation preceded her long before she stepped into the idol world.

One day, I was deep in thought, and Ivan was cooking for me in my apartment. I wonder how I’ll face society if I can’t cook, especially being the daughter of the head chef at Hotel Elite, one of the most prestigious hotel chains in the world.

My dad founded the hotel in 2005, and now it has branches all over the globe. It’s not just a hotel chain. It’s a symbol of luxury and excellence in the tourism industry. The hotels all carry the “Hotel Elite” name, followed by the city they’re located in.

My dad’s journey is one I deeply admire. He was a brilliant student at Oxford University, receiving multiple job offers even before he graduated. But instead of following a corporate path, he chose to build something on his own.

Despite coming from a wealthy background, he didn’t ask for any help from my grandparents. He wanted to prove himself. When I was born, he renewed a restaurant he brought and made his first luxury hotel, and over the past 12 years, it’s become a global success. He also expanded into the tourism industry.

My mom, on the other hand, is an incredibly talented fashion designer. She graduated from Harvard University, majoring in Political Science, and fashion designing was her hobby, but her designs were very famous in her second year; her unique vision and craftsmanship had caught the attention of top designers. She started working at YSL under the legendary Yves Saint Laurent himself. By her third year, she transferred to Gucci. That same year, she got married and became pregnant with me.