NANA

modern times

~In which idols can be friends~

Idols were gathered in preparation for an award show–just another day in the life of a celebrity. As per usual, groups were situated with each other, and some were making their rounds greeting their peers as they waited for the performances to start. As much as outsiders liked to deny it, many were friends with each other, and were actually quite close. 

Take, for example, IU and Nana. The two were often pitted against each other in the media due to their top spots in the Korean music industry, but outside of the spotlight, they had a sincere  relationship.

They had met much earlier due to a strange coincidental run-in towards the beginning of BTS'–and, consequently, Nana's–career. 

After a particularly bad day filled with ridicule and humiliation at the hands of the people she used to look up to, Nana found herself grasping for comfort alone.

Slipping into a sparsely-populated mom-and-pop café, she decided she had little need for disguises, seeing as no one cared enough to recognize her anyway, and so discarded her stuffy hat and sunglasses. To hell with management, right?

Bowing and smiling politely at the older woman manning the till, she made herself comfortable at one of the tables in the back, partially hidden by a conveniently-placed potted plant. The plant that would serve as her excuse if she was to somehow be caught (though her group often joked Bang PD was omniscient, she wasn't actually sure if he wasn't, so better to be safe than sorry, she supposed). 

As she was just about ready to lose herself in whatever she could buy with the couple thousand won she had leftover from whatever birthday money her family had sent her a month earlier, she felt a light tap on her shoulder. 

Confused, she turned her head to face the person behind the finger, only to be greeted by a face she knew all too well. There, standing before her, was Lee Ji Eun, otherwise known as IU, otherwise known as Korea's little sister. 

Standing up as quickly as she could manage, Nana bowed in greeting, shock probably apparent on her face. Ji Eun responded in like, giggling slightly as she was taken aback by the ferocity of her junior.

"Ah, I didn't mean to startle you," she began after gracefully slipping into the seat opposite Nana. "I come in here often to unwind, and I noticed you sitting back here. Then I thought 'why does she look so familiar...' and then it clicked! You're Nana, right?" 

Seating herself, Nana asked, "no offense, but how did you recognize me? I'm not exactly...well-known..." Honestly, she was still in a state of shock seeing the wildly successful IU at her table–a figure she'd only seen through a screen.

"I heard about your debut with Bangtan–," IU paused briefly, attempting to recall the, frankly, ridiculously long name. 

"Bangtan Seonyeondan. Or BTS." Nana supplied helpfully. "I know, it's a bit of a mouthful."

"Nonsense, I like it. It's different." Ji Eun smiled reassuringly. "Anyway, you guys are making waves already with such a unique debut. And I saw a flash of you earlier today; you were rushing with your members, so you probably missed me, since I was also running around a bit."

Groaning slightly and cradling her head in her hands, Nana's muffled response was, "I can't believe I missed the chance to formally meet you."

Ji Eun laughed at that and carefully ruffled Nana's bowed head in front of her. "It's ok, we're meeting now, aren't we?"

"Oh yeah!" Nana perked up. "Uh, why is that again? I don't mean that in a rude way!" she rushed out.