"Someday I will find no need to pretend anymore. Gonna meet the ideal someone with a gentle soul."

'Marshmallow' by Twice Misamo

Growing up, Sana’s only aspiration was to spread happiness and serve as an inspiration, particularly to young people. When life intervened, she had to push her desire of being an idol (in another country) to the far back of her mind.  

Luckily, she had discovered another means to fulfill her dreams. 

It all happened on a whim really.  

She had this idea of uploading her own films while she was watching her favorite beauty vlogger. 

So, she did. 

And well, from that point on things started looking up for her. She had hundreds of thousands of subscribers who all adored her for her inspirational clips (she has some incredibly wise things to say; her followers either gush over her beauty or beg for advice), or enjoy the random clips of her daily life (her ASMR videos were even popular with her subscribers!).  

But lately, well... Sana found herself lost on what next content she’ll upload... until! 

Sana watched this viral clip of a college student leading an extravagant life, for free! Staying in posh hotels, eating at pricey restaurants, and even trying on lavish jewelry all for free! (Don’t worry, it was all part of a university project, it was not an actual scam.) 

Sana was tempted to try it as well, but she immediately erased the thought since she didn’t want to influence her fans to do such things. So, she thought of something else! 

Why not try something less controversial?  

(Un)limited spa at the Marshmallow Department of the MSM Enterprise! 

(Sana has been a long-time member of its spa, she heartily recommends the service!) 

Sana therefore embarked on a mission to document her experience! Until... she kept returning, and returning, and returning, and returning... forgetting about her content as she pampers herself with the beautiful service of Marshmallow’s spa services. 

(There were tons of clips, but they were all of her dozing off mid-massage.) 

But! Sana suddenly discovered a new opportunity! The MSM Enterprise published an ad looking for a “passionate influencer” to advocate their brand! 

So, to redeem herself, Sana signed up and was on a mission to prove why she is the ideal “passionate influencer” for MSM! 

(She’s a passionate person and easily sidetracked; you will need to have patience with her) 

So there she was, ready to submit her proposal with hundreds of hours of footage that was just waiting to be edited. She was also considering using parts of the footage for her personal channel since it had been a while since her last upload. She must have been missed by her Lalas’! 

(Lalas is the name of her fandom!) 

Everything was going according to plan until Sana spotted a man in black on the first level of the MSM building she filmed in. At first, she ignored it, but at the fifth clip, she noticed him again, and on the next, and next clips. She tried shrugging it off, maybe the man frequented their spa like her! Or maybe he was also auditioning to be a brand advocate for MSM! 

But after the fifteenth tape, she started noticing that the man was accompanied with a second...smaller man. They were always in the same area... moving only when this particular employee moves around.  

It was the twentieth clip that moved her to action when one of her videos showed the smaller of the two terrorising the other employees. 

*Gasp* 

Sana will not stand for this! So, she informed MSM’s security department right away. The employee she spoke with initially dismissed the idea, pointing out that MSM’s security had always been top-notch (Sana is aware of this because nothing ever happened to her whenever she falls asleep and was left alone in the spa area, even providing her with complimentary beverages afterwards. Her worries were dismissed as unfounded. 

The workplace started buzzing when a different worker overheard her worry and glimpsed of the ‘evidence’ she brought. The apparent head of security soon called for her and went over the clips she brought with her. And then after that, well, it took her to where she is now. 

Present 

“Do you recognize the one with the mask?” 

Myoui Mina Sharon.  

The youngest child of MSM Enterprise’s president. 

A young lady with indisputable beauty and grace. Her family had made every effort to ensure that their only daughter would only experience comfort in life. 

The ideal, sweet, obedient, and well-loved daughter of the Myoui family. 

Therefore, there was a lot of reservations when the young heiress urged her father to let her learn the ins and outs of the family business by starting at the very bottom. Not because of mistrust for their daughter’s abilities, but rather out of worry for her safety. 

After all, how could they let their precious daughter exhaust herself?  

It took a lot of convincing. In the end, Mina gave in to her father’s demand that her new bodyguard, Minsu, will go everywhere with her. She refused at first. But seeing the stern look, she knows it’s the best she could hope for. 

All was good during her first stint working as a part-timer. She was quite happy about the new things she was learning each day, at the delighted expressions customers have when they buy the products they were looking for, or at the appreciative nods and smiles she receives when she helps customers. 

Mina knows she would be proud of her. 

Mina gets giddy just thinking about it. She can’t wait to talk about her summer employment working for her father. 

There was an understanding that Mina’s identity would not be revealed to the staff – except her boss. Then again, there was no need to. The majority of her co-workers realized right away that she is not your average part-time employee, not when a 6-foot guy in a suit trail behind her every day. But they never let it affect them, treating Mina equally with no exceptions and as one of their own. 

But other employees could not just take the hint. The daring ones would directly ask the heiress out, the crazy ones would secretly snap photos of her or make attempts to get the young woman to spend time with them. 

Mina ignores them all, dutifully completing the tasks assigned to her. 

So, to say that Mina was nervous was an understatement.  

Mina picked up the photographs that were lying on the table. 

It consisted of pictures of her taken at various angles and on various days, some of which also had her bodyguard’s tall figure in the background. Just as she was about to tell her father that, her eyes finally caught the figure her father was pertaining to. 

Short stature in dark clothing with a mask covering their face. Somehow, they looked more ridiculous than Minsu during his first few days of accompanying her.  But she ignores that. 

Mina is actually more concerned about how she missed that. 

They may not have seen each other for years, but Mina prides herself for one thing – that she could always recognize those vivid chocolate-round orbs everywhere. 

(Also, where was she when this poor staff fell to the floor, the short figure was even towering over them with a raised fist...) 

“Eh?” 

Flashback 

Son Chaeyoung makes her way excitedly to the familiar mansion.  

Her family had finally allowed her to return to their estate in Japan after spending spending several years studying overseas. Since she spent the majority of her childhood in Japan, she can’t help but skip a step at the familiar breeze of Japan. 

(Admittedly, she hated it at first. It was frightening for her as a little girl to move to an unfamiliar place where she also didn’t understand the language. She also felt lonely. She had friends in South Korea, but in Japan, she knows no one... at least, until that day.) 

Chaeyoung would have re her own, but her family insisted she stay in the United States for her studies. Chaeyoung also made a promise. 

To this day, Chaeyoung thinks it’s the most ridiculous thing ever! Her family could have let her study in Korea or even right here in Japan, but no, they have to throw her as far away as they can! 

(Her parents had the best intentions – Son Chaeyoung for all her wits and charm, is full of mischief and the only source of her parents’ headaches. They understood that sending their easily distracted daughter to study in Korea or even Japan would not be beneficial. Not when she had been caressly failing all of her classes. 

It was all for the best. Their daughter eventually graduated as one of the top students in her senior year. Something the Son family was aware she could never accomplish in Korea and particularly in Japan for the two reasons: 

Her other naughty best-friends and; 

Mina Sharon Myoui 

They knew that if they let their daughter stay in Korea, she would have quickly used the help of her closest friends to enter Japan, diverting her attention away from her studies. Furthermore, there is little chance that their daughter would pay attention in class, much less show up to class if they had permitted her to stay in Japan instead. 

And no, they’re not blaming a certain Japanese beauty and heiress, the Son family is fully aware how tenacious and single-minded their daughter can be. 

So, there was a compromise. Chaeyoung would be allowed to take a trip to Japan if she was able to successfully complete her studies – although they would not object Chaeyoung had done so with flying colors. But, if their naughty daughter doesn’t agree, then she will have to say goodbye to Japan. 

But the Son family knew that it was not their warnings that their daughter listened to. All it took was a gentle scolding and soft promises by a certain Japanese beauty and their daughter folded. 

The Son family knew that a certain ring worn by their daughter as a necklace pendant was what fully convinced their daughter and hold on to. 

Their daughter turned into a model student the moment she stepped foot in America. 

Chaeyoung instantly shakes her head and grimaces at the reminder of her... past (if that’s what you can call her education in the States was). 

Upon seeing the heavy marble gate of the mansion, Chaeyoung giddily presses the buzzer, careful of not letting the bouquet of flower crumple with her gestures. 

“Hello!” greets Chaeyoung with a barely contained giggle. The attendant behind the buzzer tilted their head in confusion at the adorable looking child(?) with pigtails and wide smile. The kid seemed too happy to be lost 

“...Yes? Who are you?” Chaeyoung pressed her face closer against the camera above the buzzer and showed her dimpled smile. “Hello! It’s Son Chaeyoung!”  

The attendant behind furrowed their brows at the excited kid at the screen, he was going to ask their head of security if president Myoui had notified them of a coming visitor with the name ‘Son Chaeyoung’ when one of the older employees who had been working for the Myoui’s for more than a decade whipped their head at the name and snatched the microphone from him. 

“Welcome back Miss Son. Please wait a minute and we will pick you up.” The older employee ordered one of their drivers to pick the young woman up from the Myoui’s gate entrance. The young woman on the screen somehow brightens up at the response. 

“Ichiro-san! Is that you?” The naturally stoic old man – Ichiro – shakes his head with a small smile at the young woman’s enthusiasm. Years had passed and the young woman had never changed. 

“Yes, Miss Son. It’s Ichiro. Please wait for a moment and we will pick you up, you should not have walked all the way here, Young Miss.” added the old man with a stern yet gentle tone. 

Chaeyoung only pouted at the scolding and didn’t bother to deny the accusation.  

(She skipped on her way here thank you very much!) 

At once, the old man realized that the young woman had walked all the way from their estate to the Myoui’s mansion – either out of excitement or defiance (that is, sneaking out. Again) and had not asked any of her family’s drivers to drop her off. 

The girl had her own fair share of bodyguards, and seeing that she’s happily humming alone, it only means that the girl escaped her bodyguards, again. 

“Hai...” mumbles Chaeyoung in response. 

Turning away from the pouting the woman from the screen, Ichiro instructed his men who were visibly confused at the lively looking girl to notify the masters of the house of their visitor. 

He cleared his throat and glared at some who were ogling at the happily humming young miss.  

“Inform President Myoui that Miss Son is here.” 

**** 

Chaeyoung happily claps to herself when the wide gates of the mansion opened. A second later a man in black approached her and led her to the limousine that will take her to the mansion. 

It took less than three minutes to arrive at their destination. Chaeyoung still thinks it was unnecessary and she could have walked up the hill herself.  

(She couldn’t. Back then, she almost had to crawl all the way up the steep hill whenever she sneaks in the Myoui estate.) 

Upon arriving at the estate, Chaeyoung couldn’t help but beam and hugged the man that opened the door for her.  

“Ichiro-san!” The stoic old man chuckled at the enthusiasm and also embraced the young lady. He had known the girl ever since she was a little child due to her constant visits – treating the heiress as his own along with the other young Myoui masters. 

The free-spirited and mischievous Korean girl who was inseparable from the young Myouis – or, more likely, one particular young Myoui. 

 
Nothing seems to have changed. Ichiro could not help but notice that the mischievous air still lingers around the heiress despite growing up beautifully. 

Ichiro could already feel the headache coming from the beaming grin of the heiress. 

The silly strawberry princess cub and the ballerina penguin. 

“Are otousan and okaasan home?” asks Chaeyoung after the embrace. Ichiro glared at the men who were gaping at the affectionate embrace. 

“Yes, young miss. The masters of the house are home. They are waiting for you.” 

Ichiro paused to clear his throat and extended his arm to guide the girl. Chaeyoung happily accepted the offer with one hand while tenderly embracing the bouquet of flowers with the other. 

“Chaeyoung-chan!” Chaeyoung gasped and ran to the woman’s open arms as soon as she heard the familiar voice.  

“Okaasan!”  

Myoui Sachiko. The matriarch of the Myoui family. 

Sachiko nodded her head at Ichiro, who grinned and returned the gesture before the elderly man vanished into the darkness. 

The woman instantly cooed at the bright smile and pinched the younger’s cheeks. The dyed blonde hair only added to the charm, especially with her hair tied adorably in a pigtail. 

“Aww” groans Chaeyoung but did not move away from the hold. “Aigooo. You’ve lost some weight Chaeyoung-chan, but you still haven’t grown!” teases the matriarch. 

Chaeyoung stomps her feet at that and pouts some more, causing the older to laugh affectionately at the younger.  

“Are you here for Mina-chan?” asks Sachiko. The woman smiled when the pout instantly vanishes off Chaeyoung’s face. She is glad to see that Chaeyoung’s attitude towards her daughter has not changed.  

“Hai! But I wanted to say hi to you and otousan first!” grins Chaeyoung before giving the bouquet of flower to the matriarch. 

“Still a charmer, hmm?” Chaeyoung smiles bashfully at the compliment and just grinned wider with her lone dimple poking out. 

“Is otousan home?” asks Chaeyoung while her round eyes wander arounds the quiet halls of the Myoui estate. Sachiko wants to laugh at the impatient grazing Chaeyoung’s eyes – because she knows that the only reason for Chaeyoung’s