IDOL

Prologue

Zariyah has always lived in the shadows—quiet, introverted, and content with nature over people. Her life revolved around her family, especially her brother Jaxon, a rising idol in Korea. When Jaxon invites her to visit, Zari's world turns upside down. She finds herself swept into the glitz of idol life, surrounded by Jaxon's bandmates, including Kael, the one person she secretly admires.

As Zari gets closer to the band, her feelings for Kael deepen. But to him, she's just Jaxon's little sister. Can Zari handle the heartbreak, or will her secret crush on Kael shatter her fragile heart?

........

I am just a simple girl living a peaceful life with my family—my mother, father, grandmother, and especially my brother, Jaxon. Since I was little, I was never good at fitting in. I kept my distance from people, always feeling like I was different. At school, my friends were nice, but they seemed to live in their own worlds—talking about parties, fashion, and trends I didn't care about.

I was the kind of person who found beauty in sunsets, the softness of clouds, the twinkling stars, and the vastness of the ocean. I felt a connection to nature more than I ever did with people. It was hard to explain that to others, and the only person who truly understood me was my brother. Jaxon always listened, always played with me, always made me feel seen. But then, my brother left... and everything changed.

"ZAAARRIIYAAHH WAAHH!"

I jumped, startled out of my thoughts. Theodore Craige, or Theo as I called him, came bounding towards me. He was the son of my mom's best friend and pretty much the only person I talked to regularly since Jaxon had gone to Korea.

"I've been looking everywhere for you! You know I'm your only friend—you should be nicer to me," Theo teased, his grin wide. "What are you doing here? Reminiscing again?"

Theo had always been the jokester, the one trying to make me smile even when I didn't want to. I sat in the backyard surrounded by flowers—roses, daisies, tulips—planted by my father and brother. It was my sanctuary, the one place where I could be alone with my thoughts.

"You're not my friend," I muttered half-heartedly, staring at the little wooden house my father had built for me when I was younger. I loved sitting here alone.

"Ouch, that hurts, after everything I've done for you!" he said dramatically, but then he paused, his tone becoming more serious. "By the way, your brother called me earlier. He said you weren't picking up your phone. He also asked if you wanted to visit him."

"He said that?!" I felt a rush of excitement, my heart racing.

Theo nodded. Without wasting another second, I sprinted into the house, nearly tripping over my own feet in my haste. Jaxon wanted me to visit him! The thought of seeing him again made me smile. I missed him so much.

"Zari, careful!" Theo called after me, laughing.

I raced up to my room and saw six missed calls from my brother. How could I have missed so many? I immediately called him back, feeling nervous as the phone rang.

"Oppa?" I asked, when someone finally picked up.

"Hello?" A voice that wasn't my brother's answered. My heart skipped a beat in confusion.

"Who is this?" I asked cautiously.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Jaxon is in the bathroom, and I answered because I thought it might be important. I'm Kael, by the way—his friend."

KAEL? My heart pounded. I've seen him perform with my brother. His voice was beautiful, soft yet strong. I'd always admired him from afar, but hearing him speak to me directly was... overwhelming.

"k-kael?" I stammered. My face flushed, and my heart wouldn't stop racing. Oh my god, what was happening?

"Yes, Kael. Oh, wait—jaxon here. Jaxon, your 'baby' is calling!" kael teased, and I could hear the amusement in his voice.

Baby. Jaxon had always called me his baby sister, even on his phone. My cheeks burned with embarrassment. I heard a faint sound of shuffling before max voice came through.

"Shut up, kael!" Jaxon scolded, making me smile. Then, jaxon spoke to me directly, his voice soft and warm.

"Zari?"

"Y-yes?" I stammered again, feeling flustered. "Sorry, I'll call back later if you're busy—"

"He's not busy, zari" kael interrupted, and I could hear the teasing in his voice again.

He said my nickname. He said my nickname! I couldn't think straight. My hands felt clammy, and I couldn't stop blushing.

"This is my sister. Stop teasing her, Hyung," jaxon said, and I could hear the protectiveness in his voice.

"Ow, sorry, Zari! I'm your brother's bandmate—nice talking with you and hope seeing you soon!" kael called out before jaxon managed to shoo him away.

"Don't call her Zari," jaxon grumbled. "She doesn't like other people using that nickname. I'm going outside for a minute to talk to her."

I heard kael chuckling faintly before their voices faded.

"Zari, sorry about that," jaxon said once we were alone on the phone again.

"No, it's fine," I mumbled, trying to shake off my embarrassment. "I called because Theo told me you'd called him and..." I trailed off, feeling shy again. What if I actually saw kael in person if I visited jaxon? He had said he hoped to see me soon. My stomach fluttered nervously.

"Oh, yeah. Will you visit me?" jaxon asked, his tone bright.

"Is it okay for me to come?" I asked, unsure.

"Of course! I miss my little baby princess," jaxon said, his voice softening. I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Okay!" I couldn't hide my excitement anymore.

"Great! I'll come to Seattle to get you. I already told Dad about it. You're coming here to Korea."

"No, you don't have to! I can travel alone. Don't hassle yourself. I know you're busy with training and your debut coming up," I insisted, not wanting to be a burden.

"Zari, seriously, I'll come get you," jaxon said, but I cut him off.

"No! I won't go if you come here to get me."

Max let out an exasperated sigh. "You're so hardheaded! Fine. I'll settle everything for your flight, you win I'll let you travel alone. Okay?"

"Okay!" I giggled, feeling victorious.

"Alright. I'll call you later to settle the details. I miss you, my little princess."

"I miss you too, Oppa," I said softly. "Fighting! I know you'll do great in your debut."

"Thanks, Zari. Love you and the family always."

"I love you too. Take care, Oppa!" I said, smiling as we hung up.

The call ended, and I flopped onto my bed, staring at the ceiling. Would I meet kael if I went to Korea? The thought made my heart race again. I'd seen him once after their announcement as a team, but he probably didn't notice me in the crowd.

I couldn't deny it—I had a crush on him and I am his fan, a secret fan. Kael was sweet, kindhearted, and talented, and I couldn't help but feel giddy at the idea of seeing him again.

Stop daydreaming, Zari, I scolded myself, rolling over and burying my face in my pillow. You're being delusional again.

But deep down, I couldn't help but hope.