Paula sends me a thread of people "praying for and supporting" Apple Hair. I never thought strangers would be able to instill such deep emotion in me, but the comments make my heart feel much lighter.
I just can't wait for their debut. Not only was their performance at UH *chef's kiss*, they constantly prove that they work hard and want it more than anyone.
I wouldn't say that Merlin Kim made this group by chance. It was definitely fate!
And my favorite of the bunch—It's so obvious the guys love each other. Like, they definitely give off family-vibes.
After reading through the thread late at night in the dorm, I turn my attention to our fan cafe. We've been neglecting the upkeep of the cafe, but Shar has been doing a good job as a moderator. People post their aspirations and expectations for Apple Hair, and I'm happy to see the fanfiction section growing steadily. The members of the cafe are beginning to share stories, both real and fictional, and although it may not be pulling in the same numbers as before, the fans are still active and waiting.
I try to find more posts about the collective dream in Hawaii though. For some reason, comments about it are hard to find. Could people have forgotten about that huge supernatural event back home?
I fall into a dreamless sleep.
After a particularly long day at practice, where Melinda interrupts at least a dozen times to compliment Passion Sun or tell a story about her "golden years," the members and I finally head out to catch the subway.
"Did today feel any longer to you guys?" Seiya says.
"It's not just you," I say. "It's almost one am."
We successfully catch the train. But after only one stop, the train driver begins to mumble something through the intercom. Because I'm so tired, I hardly catch any words besides "last," but that's enough to strike fear in my heart.
"They said it's the last train," David says. "They're stopping service on this stop."
"Shit," Seiya says. "And we still have two more stops to go, 'ya?"
Van looks like he wants to pass out, and Corrin's falling asleep against his shoulder. Because we have no option, we follow the rest of the passengers into Euljiro-1-ga. I wish we could call Shar, but she's currently on a manager's retreat with other employees in AWE Seoul.
"It's not like we're stranded," I say. "We can call a taxi."
But everyone else has the same, brilliant idea. In fact, a crowd of about two dozen people stand near the road, trying to hail a cab. At the same time, their voice mixes into whispers that sound a lot like the ghost's. Even as they stare out toward the lanes, it feels like their attention's on us, like they blame us for the train stopping its service. I keep an eye out for Melinda, because I sense that she could appear at any time. The wind feels chilly and almost dusty. I want nothing more than to get out of this area quickly.
"Calling one on your phone?" I tell David, who's already tapping on his screen.
"Yeah...."
We wait several painful minutes. Unfortunately but expectedly, no one answers the call. The app must be congested with people who also got stranded thanks to the train.
"What should we do now?" asks Corrin, who's now fully awake, but also trying not to use his panicked voice.
"I guess we have to walk back," Van says. "The bus doesn't run to the dorm. It shouldn't take too long...."
After David tries several more times, we finally part ways with the crowd and find ourselves walking in the direction of the dorm. Thankfully, we can follow the main road. As we walk, I think that this might be the perfect opportunity for us to get ambushed. I remind myself of the general safety of South Korea, and how the only thing we probably need to worry about is something magical.
YOU ARE READING
Debut in Broad Daylight
Fantasy*Apple Hair Book 2* Apple Hair did it. They refused to fall into the temptation of the dream world. They endured a year of training that was almost too much for them to handle. They even began their little universe, which will set them apart from ot...
