This is the story of Ryujin & Yeji from childhood, through Itzy, and into retirement. During that time, an intense and sometimes painful love blossoms, made difficult by the demands of fame and the search for meaning and purpose during Itzy and afte...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Yeji and Ryujin had chosen a quiet life away from the spotlight. All they wanted to do was be with one another and travel around the world. That's what they'd worked so hard for.
Yuna had gone in a stunning new direction. She had a thriving solo career, as well as acting and high-end fashion modeling. The other members of Itzy were so proud of the maknae and weren't at all surprised by what she had achieved. But they teased her that she was on every billboard in Korea.
As she became more famous around the world, she began speaking out about issues affecting children. When they toured, they saw some of the problems less fortunate people faced. Especially poverty and illnesses, both physical and mental. Seeing children in those situations broke the easygoing girl's heart. So she thought she's help in any way she could, no matter how little. She was just a singer, not an expert or a head of state.
So she began visiting impoverished areas on her own, not trying to draw attention to herself. She helped dig wells, deliver medicine, and provide comfort when she could. But in a couple of years, without trying, Yuna was soon in the news, visiting children and families in war-torn areas, even putting her life in danger.
She didn't want to seem like just a rich pop star, especially given how serious the issues were. So she did her homework, learning volumes and volumes of history, economic policy, and international strategy. She also found that she enjoyed it. She met with leaders from around the world. It didn't hurt that she wore high-end fashion to these meetings. Anyone who checked out a news story to see her clothes would also learn something about children's issues. It was a win-win.
But she was still Yuna: loving, funny, not taking herself too seriously, and able to see the world around her in new, unique, and insightful ways. She could still be silly, even as she closed in on 30.
One day, in their private group text, there was a message from Lia:
"YUNA IS AN AMBASSADOR. LIKE, A WORLD AMBASSADOR. LIKE, SHE STOPS WARS AND STUFF. IF ALIENS LAND, THEY'LL GO TALK TO WORLD PRESIDENT YUNA!"
Ryujin gasped, sat up in bed, and gently shook the sleeping Yeji. As her eyes opened, Ryujin held the phone in front of Yeji's face. She read the message and smiled broadly. "Interesting... I've always suspected that Yuna is an alien. Maybe they'd just want to bring her back home?"
Chaeryeong was at her desk in her apartment, holding a steaming cup of coffee. She picked up her phone and stared at the message. Stunned, she went to set her coffee down, but missed the desk completely and dropped it on the floor.
"Yuna, could you clarify?" Ryujin typed.
"Guys, I'm not South Korea's ambassador. I'm an honorary UN ambassador for children's issues," Yuna added. "I don't stop wars, and I can't make your parking tickets go away."
"I'm both surprised and not surprised," Lia tapped. "You are incredibly smart, maknae. I think we'll all take credit for your achievement since we had to put up with you when you were practically a baby."
