Her (Love Yourself Tour - Book 1)

Chapter 4

January 2018

The last couple of months have been a whirlwind to say the least. I received my new hire packet in the mail from Big Hit Entertainment the last week of November. It was thick. It took me almost two weeks to read through and sign everything.

Basically, the gist of it was that I would be provided airfare to South Korea two weeks before the start date of the tour's first show which was August 25th. I would be provided transportation to the hotel where I would be staying with the other staff members. Additionally, I would receive my Big Hit Entertainment employee credentials the day of my arrival. However, I wouldn't receive my staff pass for the tour until I met up with the rest of the photographers working the tour. Turned out that I was one of five photographers hired for the Tour. As for the remainder of the tour, transportation and housing were going to be provided at each location of each show. Due to the amount of traveling involved, it was recommended that I travel light. By light, one suitcase and a carry-on. It was recommended that I always kept my passport and working visa on my person in case there were any kind of last-minute changes. I would be paid on a monthly basis beginning the first day of the month for the duration of the concert tour. If any of my photographs were selected for promotional purposes, I would receive bonus pay which would range in amount depending on how many photographs were used and for what purposes. There was also an entire section dedicated solely on how to interact with the artists themselves. It covered everything to maintaining a professional attitude when interacting with them to not violating their privacy when off stage when they were on their personal time and the legal ramifications that could occur if I were to do so. It was a bit overwhelming. Okay, in all honesty it was REALLY overwhelming.

On top of going over the contract and new hire package, I also had to tie up everything concerning school. The semester I was enrolled in when I accepted the job was to my last since I was going to head to South Korea instead of taking another semester before starting the Tour. The only downside to not taking another semester was that I would have to re-apply to the college for my senior year since I would be gone for two consecutive semesters.

During the first week of December, I spent my time trying to find a place to stay in South Korea. I needed somewhere that was going to do a lease in-between short and long term since I was going to be staying there from January 7th till August 13th. I ended up finding a studio apartment to rent in Gangnam which worked out since it was close to Big Hit. The studio being that it was located in Gangnam would take about half of my savings when all was said and done. I was fine with that though. I was thankfully able to pay for the first month over the phone securing the place, and upon arrival, would have to pay the remainder of the lease. The rest of December passed with Christmas, and Torrie's birthday. Then New Year's came and went as well.

Now, it was the day before my flight to leave for South Korea. I was going to be flying out of JFK International Airport in New York arriving at Itaewon International Airport. Even though I was leaving here on January 6th in the morning, it would be January 7th when I arrived in South Korea due to the time difference. I was so nervous that I couldn't sleep. It only worsened the more I thought about leaving tomorrow. Well, today since it was after midnight, and I would be leaving in less than five hours to head to the airport.

I heard a knock on my door which caused me to sit up in bed pulling me out of my recollections of the last couple months and worry. I watched from my bed as my doorknob turned and the door was pushed slightly open. My mom peeked her head through the opening and seeing me sitting up in my bed she proceeded to enter my room closing the door softly behind her.

"Mom?"

"Hey hun."

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to come and check on you since I figured you were probably going to be up due to nervous energy."

"That's an understatement." I sighed.

She sat down on my bed, and as she did, I pulled her down towards me to lay down next to me on it. She pulled me into her wrapping an arm around me. That one action caused me to start tearing up and before I knew it, I was crying. My mom didn't say anything. She just held me and stroked my hair like she did when I was little and in need of comfort.

After I cried all my pent-up emotions and nervousness away my mom sat me up with her scooting us back against my headboard. I pulled my legs up to my chest resting my arms and then head on them. She pulled me into a side hug with a smile.

"It will be tough getting adjusted to being away from everything you have ever known Adeline, but I promise it will be worth it."

"I know. It's just that I've never been separated from you guys or Torrie and my other friends. I'm just scared because I won't know anyone, and I don't speak Korean hardly at all either which is going to make it tough to communicate with other people and make friends."

"Honey, I'm sure it will all work out. Besides, you have always been quick to adapt to your surroundings. It's one of the reasons that your father and I agreed to let you do this. You're young and to be given this kind of opportunity is a lucky thing. I couldn't imagine being 22 years old with this kind of chance. Even if you don't make a lot of friends due to the language barrier just think of all the amazing photographs you are going to be able to take at all the places you will travel to that you wouldn't otherwise get too. Plus, you may not be the only person who speaks English. I'm sure at least one of the others they hired in your group will speak English. Who knows, maybe you'll even meet someone special while there."

I started to laugh.

"Ugh, not you as well!"

My mom laughed as too.

"Torrie?" She asked.

"Of course. That is all that girl talks about these days." I said rolling my eyes.

"She isn't wrong you know. It's good to date and experience love even if it breaks your heart once or twice."

"Yeah, I'm good. Besides, I just want to concentrate on my photography and do well at this job since it is my first one."

"I understand that Adeline, just don't close yourself off from it completely. Trust me when I say that love tends to find us when we least expect it."

"All right, all right, I get it." I said as I began to playfully push her out of my bed to indicated that I was done with this conversation. 

She just smiled chuckling lightly as she stood up while I slid down under my covers. She pulled my covers further up and followed the action by smoothing my hair off of my forehead before leaning down and kissing me on it. I closed my eyes and was out before she left the room. 

I woke up my alarm going off. I reached forward with a groan hitting the snooze button thinking it was time for school. After a moment though, I jolted upward remembering exactly why my alarm was going off. My heart started pounding in my chest as I scrambled out of my bed. I went frantically about my room gathering my stuff. I couldn't believe it was finally here. That I was really doing this. But I also had an overwhelming feeling settle over me as I changed into my flight clothes.

Today is the day my life changes. I could feel it.