Solar was hunched over her guitar, playing random chords and eating chips every time her hands went off the instrument while Moonbyul sat beside her on the couch both eyes focused on the television in front.

The brunette was neither singing nor paying attention on her favorite instrument but she just loved holding the guitar and her hands just strummed and plucked chords without any thought. The younger one seemed to have built a filter in her ear as she didn’t mind the sound of the guitar or how a couple of times it overshadowed the volume of the program they were watching. Solar suddenly remembered something and looked around to notice someone missing.

“Where is Irene?”

“Date, with Seulgi. She said she’ll be back tomorrow for our gig.” Moonbyul answered.

The three had been playing indie rock on the underground scene for almost 3 years but they were not an official band. YongSun, the singer/guitarist and songwriter of the group was the only one signed under an independent record label (SYK) which produced and released her songs and named her Solar. Meanwhile, Moonbyul and Irene played the drums and bass respectively. The two were attending college and they play music only with Solar, only when they’re free and only as a hobby.

It was Thursday and Mcountdown, a music show in which artists, mostly idols perform live on stage was currently broadcasted. There’s also a final segment where they announce the most popular song based on certain criterias and live votes. And as the show near its end, Solar and Byul became more engaged on the television, the former’s song got nominated for no.1 after all.

Solar never performed on music shows but that doesn’t equate to her songs being unknown to the world. In fact, every song she released even though the genre was not mainstream ranked no.1 on all Korean music charts. She was what they called a “digital monster”. And as some music programs base their ranking mostly on digital sales, Solar often gets nominated.

 It didn’t once bother her that she never won on any of these shows. The only reason she loses anyway was because her live votes and physical points were non-existent. This time was no different, as her rival for the win was an idol who always gets full points on physical and got lots of fans who vote for her.

The truth was she only wanted to watch the end ceremonies to see her album cover. It was shown everytime they mention the nominees. Unlike the others which were flashy and colorful, hers was a simple black and white picture of her holding a guitar wearing black leather jacket and black leather pants. She couldn’t help but feel proud of herself. She loved how cool she looked at the album jacket and often bragged it to Moonbyul. She wouldn’t ask for more. She was already satisfied by this.

Solar, from the corner of her eye was suddenly alarmed as she saw the younger one using her phone and rapidly texting who knows who.

“Come on, you’re not really voting for my song right? I don’t need to win this show. You’re wasting load. My songs are already popular in the public, that’s the only thing that matters.”

“I’m voting for Wheein my love.” Moonbyul answered and laughed a bit.

Solar was dumbfounded, her jaw dropped and she carefully put her guitar down as she glared to the other woman. The younger smirked causing more annoyance to the other.

“Yah!” the brunette shouted as she threw some chips on Moonbyul. “This unloyal kid. That idol, Huin, Whein whatever, does her song even have meaning? I bet the lyrics are mostly onomatopeia. Why are you voting for a song like that? “

“Waa. Unnie, you’ve never listen to any of her songs do you? You’re generalizing idols. Wheein is different.“ Moonbyul argued.

“Oh please, you’re just voting her coz she’s pretty.”

Although it was a fact that Solar never listened to any of Wheein’s song or watched her perform, she couldn’t deny how beautiful her rival was. Because even when she intended to focus on staring at her own album jacket whenever it was shown on tv, she often caught herself glancing at the idol smiling on the other half of the screen.

“You’re pretty too unnie. If you’re an idol and you perform on this show against Wheein, I will probably have a headache and I won’t be able to choose.” Moonbyul teased the older woman. She knew that the other extremely hated the thought of being an idol.

“Then be thankful I’m not.” Solar said raising her head as her ego boosted at what byul stated.

“just kidding. You’re no competition. I’ll still vote Wheein my wife.”

“Yah!” the brunette snatched her phone. “Then stop using my phone and vote your wife with your own money! Wife your ! You little-”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Jung! Wheein! Jung! Wheein! ”

The audience was hyped as they cheered for the petite girl on stage who jumped forward with pure joy as she raised her fists and smiled brightly to the camera. The other performers who were just a step behind stared at her in awe.

“Congratulations for winning no. 1 Wheein-ssi!”  the MC excitedly handed the trophy.

Wheein bowed as she received her award and immediately looked up to face the crowd and start her speech.

“First of all, I can’t thank you enough WHEENCY—

“YEAAHH!!!CONGRATS!!!”

The loud cheer of her fans when she mentioned the fanclub’s name roared inside the studio and made her pause. She couldn’t help but giggle at their overwhelming energy.

-uhmm..   for all your love and efforts. This award is yours. Also, to my parents, to the staffs, to my bestfriend, Hwasa-yang! I love you all! Thank you very much.”

She ended her speech with another bow and the audience screamed like there was no tomorrow as her song played again for the encore. She performed her song playfully and used her weird and unique ways to engage with her fans. Even fellow idols joined her and everyone enjoyed the encore.

After the show ended, Wheein went down the stage as she held her trophy and bowed to every artist she had passed by. She went to her waiting room and there she saw the back of a woman sitting idly on ‘her’ chair, the color of the lady’s hair giving off her identity.

“Hyejinnie!” Wheein screams as she knew exactly who it was. She smiled as the woman looked back and immediately ran to her and gave her the warmest of all hugs in the world.

 Hwasa was her childhood friend and bestfriend. She liked being called Hwasa but Wheein had always preferred calling her hyejin, her real name.

“Wheeinsss! Congratulations! I’m so proud of you, my puppy!”

“YEAH!!!” the two held hands and jumped happily like kids who received their gifts on christmas. “oh right, You said you’d dye your hair red, I never thought you would actually do it.”

“Ahn Chi Myeong.” (Ahn Hye Jin +Anchimyeong[fatal])  Hwasa said as she did her signature fatal peace pose.

The two laughed out loud together. When they calmed down, they sat side by side on a not that big of a couch in the room.  The two were alone and they decided to talk for a bit.

“Hyejin-ah…” Wheein called her bestfriend’s name with a sad tone. The other noticed the change in expression and couldn’t help but get worried.

“Hey… tell me what’s happening. Are you okay?”

Wheein wanted to tell her bestfriend how she was feeling nowadays but couldn’t bring herself to. She thought it wasn’t the right time.

“Ahh… nothing… Well. Just tired I guess.”

“Of course you are, when was the last time you rested?”

“Honestly, I can’t remember.”

“Where is your company’s CEO? I need to talk to him and give him a-- maybe a punch or something so I can put his senses back, maybe he’ll realize my bestfriend is not a robot. “

“Thank you hyejin-ah. I really wish you could. “

“You know I would.” Hwasa once again hugged her. “And when we both have time, tell me everything okay?”

Wheein nodded without pulling away from her bestfriend’s embrace. She closed her eyes. She wanted to stay like this for as long as she could.

And Hwasa was willing to hug Wheein as long as the latter needed, as she knew that this vulnerable side of her friend won’t be shown to anyone but her.

--- 

Fun , Beagle, Weird, Happy virus, Angel. These are just some of the most common words used by Wheein’s fans, the media and the public to associate with her name. They were all positive that it became scary. One will assume her life was just rainbows and butterflies and Wheein at that very young age had to live that fantasy and make it seem real.

She was perfect actually, at least in the eyes of the public. At the age of 20 she already had everything, talent, personality, beauty, fame, money and she was living her dream.  Even when she was just a kid she dreamed of being a singer. But now all she wanted to do is rest.

It wasn’t like that at the beginning. When she just started her career, every time she performed on stage was enchanting and magical. And she was not the only one enjoying it. The people who had watched her were all charmed by her aura on stage and became her fans immediately.

 But as she had gotten more popular, the demand for her rose even higher and her company overworked her. Wheein was too young and her parents were too naïve to understand that they signed a ‘slave contract’ when she joined the company (RBCompany).

She had been working non-stop for 4 years and last year she decided to ask for a vacation. It was never granted. Now that she was really tired of everything, she wanted to go on hiatus, she had been begging them to let her. But they wouldn’t, as by doing so there was no guarantee that Wheein will still be successful when she comes back and the company would suffer from great losses. Make hay while the sun shines they said.

There wasn’t a single day she’s not singing, or as she now called it, working. It never occurred to her that this time will come, when she’ll get exhausted and would want to quit as a singer. If this was how she’s going to feel everyday living her dream she’d rather come back to that time when she was just dreaming that dream.

At this point, Wheein was not even afraid of failing on her career anymore. It was just the company threatened to sue her and if she didn’t obey they threatened to screw her life, though they didn’t specifically state how.  And truthfully, fighting a major company with only her 20 year old self was something she knew she wasn't ready for.

---

Wheein’s manager came rushing into the room and saw the idol and her bestfriend still on each others’ arms. She told the dimpled girl they have to get ready for their next schedule.

The two bestfriends bid their farewell and promised to contact each other more often as it hadn’t been possible before because either wheein was working or Hwasa was attending her music class.

--- 

It was 11pm. Solar and Moonbyul were still lounging on the couch. Solar wanted to check the news on her phone.

This was another thing that she enjoyed doing, reading articles about music shows. Only because her name usually comes up on the comments and netizens say something like “ahh, I really wish Solar unnie will win,” “Solar’s song is a wall,” “Solar’s music is the true music”.  Those kind of comments just bring smile to her face.

But her phone once again was on the hand of another person.

“What are you doing with my phone again!?”

“I’m rewatching Wheein’s encore stage. She’s so cute unnie look.” Moonbyul showed the video but had the phone too close on Solar’s face.

“You really want to get hit, don’t you? And what made you think I care about that girl.” Solar rolled her eyes. She snatched her phone and went upstairs to her room leaving the younger woman giggling and lying alone on the couch. They were bestfriends, teasing and bickering is just normal between the two.

Solar went straight to her bed. While browsing articles, she saw “SYK record label merge with RBCompany”.

“WHAT? My label and that company full of idols merging? NO! Don’t tell me I’m gonna be working with them?Or is this going to be ‘turn-Solar-to-an-idol’ sh*t again? WHAT? ” Solar thought and screamed and panicked internally. She had no idea why she was only informed of this now. Her label should have at least told her something.

Thankfully, Solar read the full article and it says that SYK only became a sub-label of the major company but it won’t affect the management of the artists. And finally she could breathe. The article scared the heck out of her. But now that it didn’t seem like a big issue, she continued browsing other news until she fell asleep.

---

It was past midnight when Wheein finally arrived at her condominium, her body clearly exhausted from all the events she attended today.  The room was a mess. All the gifts from her fans, albums and stuffs she needed to sign were scattered around. But it didn’t bother her, the bed was the only part of this place she cared about.  Without changing her clothes or removing her makeup, she went straight to the mattress and knocked herself out.

---

The next morning…

“UNNIE! WAKE UP!  WAKEEE!!! UP!

Solar almost hit the person who furiously shook her body from her sleep but she could barely open her eyes.

“UNNIE YOU NEED TO FREAKING READ THIS!! I’M FREAKING OUT! FREAKING OPEN YOUR EYES! I’M FREAKING SERIOUS!!!!” Moonbyul screamed like never before while she held her ipad in front of Solar’s face showing an article to the woman lying on her bed.

“Okay fine. Oh my god. You’re too loud.” Solar weakly said while her eyes are still closed. But when she opened them…

WHEEIN & SOLAR TO MAKE A COLLAB + JOIN SAME VARIETY SHOW

(click to view full article)

[+21748,-11] Woah! Daebak. The top 2 artists.

[+15,322,-31] Can’t wait! I love both of them! I guess Solar unnie finally decided to break her mysterious image! SO excited for this

[13,543,-77] Heol. These two are the complete opposites. But I’m actually excited to see their chemistry. Wheein can spread her happy virus to Solar. I want to know you more Solar nuna!

[10,546, -45] You all excited to see their chemistry, I’m just getting ready here to get slayed by their vocals. Tbh, they have the best vocal colors in all kpop

[7,956, 21] oh ! The song will have a hint of indie rock and pop song! My wallet is ready!

[6,343, -87] I’m a wheency and love pop songs, my brother rock songs and he loves Solar. I guess we’ll be bonding more often when this show airs.

{3,356,-11] I want to see Solar’s band members too! Moonbyul and Irene nuna. Hearteu hearteu

Author’s note:

Admit it! You subscribed because of the poster! Hahaha. Who wouldn’t want solar rockstar au??? :P

LOL But I’m sorry to disappoint you with my writing coz english is not my first language, don’t expect intelligent writing, flowery narration, or perfect grammar, waah! I’m so embarrassed myself. Anyway, I’ll be using more basic words in the future! You’ve been warned!

omg should i continue this?i'm scared? let me know...

bye!