You fumbled with your hood as you exited the cellphone store. You hoped that the jacket and sunglasses would prevent anyone from noticing you, especially with the way things had been recently. Although your companies both politely ignored the accusations that the two of you were dating, it seemed as though he had suddenly garnered the attention of a group of saesang fans who seems determined to deface your good image.

Your cellphone had to be replaced after the number was found out by one of these anti-fans. What began as a few angry calls and text messages turned into hundreds of notifications as fans both genuine and anti tried to contact you. This occurrence didn’t anger you so much as it made you tired. The severity of the threats you received lead your manager Dongshin to heighten security at the dorm, and you were only allowed at certain places by yourself, restricted from some areas even in broad daylight.

As you walked back to the studio with your new phone, something felt off. This area of town seemed unprotected for a reason you couldn’t quiet pinpoint. Typing the number into the keypad of your phone, you called Dongshin to ask if he could pick you up from a coffee shop one block away. You were suddenly overwhelmed with an urge to get out of the open.

It was as though they could sense your uneasiness with the idea of being alone. You heard someone scoff behind you, and felt the cold tightness of someone’s hands clasping around your throat, pulling you into the adjacent alleyway.

You fought their grasp violently, driving a powerful kick into the legs of your assailant. She fell to the group and you lunged forward to escape. Another person captured you again, and you turned to see their faces. For a brief moment you were taken by surprise. There were about six girls around you, but not a single one looked older than school age. You tried to reason with them, promising that if you were let go you wouldn’t turn them in. They didn’t want to compromise their bright futures, did they? In response, they spat insults at you like acid. Where most people would crumble under such cruel words, you were ignited. Becoming an idol molded you into a stronger woman, one who could withstand the hateful judgment of others. The one who grabbed you first had finally stood up, and slapped you in the face with the full force of her palm. You gave up trying to maintain your idol image. This was about survival.

Shoving past the tallest of the girls, you tried once again to run away. They caught you, and despite your violent efforts, you were overwhelmed. You could have fought any one of them and come out on top, but combined they were unstoppable. You fell onto the cracked pavement, your cellphone bouncing out of your clenched hands. One of the girls crushed it beneath her shoe as the others had their way with you. They kicked your stomach, clawed at your face, and did everything in their power to ensure that “oppa” would never see you again. You closed your eyes shut in defeat, refusing to let the monsters see the pain they caused. When you opened them, you could see six pairs of shoes walking away as though nothing happened as a red river fell from your head into your line of sight. Consciousness evaded you in waves as you coughed a frothy pink from your throat. Tears rolled from your swollen eyes as you became convinced that this littered alley was going to be the last sight you saw in this life.

Blood and pain surrounded your body. Minutes passed as you continued to fade out. Suddenly, a fighting flame ignited itself in your chest. Arms screaming in pain, you dragged yourself slowly to the sidewalk ahead, pulling your weight along the ground. You lifted your head to yell for help, but the flame inside you faltered and diminished as quickly as it lit.

You saw an older woman running towards you and yelling, but you couldn’t make out the words as you out completely.