Turns out, Dongho has a jogging routine. 

The moment both stepped out of the house and locked the door, Dongho took off jogging and Seulgi had to catch up right behind. This was a fact that was tactfully avoided by everyone or just forgotten and taken for granted, as it was the norm. Anyone accompanying Dongho would have to jog alongside him and keep up with his tremendous tank of energy to boot. It had only been a few seconds but Seulgi already had all kinds of regrets. It’s not that she wasn’t in shape; she was, but with the sleep she had and the whole eggs thing, she warranted more sleep. She certainly could do without the jogging.

To make matters worse, Dongho began to chant a song, kind of like what the soldiers do in military training while they jog. His voice was thunderous and steady while Seulgi was wondering if she could do the same. She probably couldn’t. Truthfully, all that dancing and singing wasn’t done at the same time.

First and foremost, why have a shaky voice breaking with every dance move while you could put a playback on the voice? In shows like ‘Good Morning, America’ or other talk shows she was more or less recommended to not use her voice at all unless it was a seated performance or an arrangement of a hype dance song to make it suitable for a standing still performance. In those, she’d be at least belting out those vocals at full force without problems. Secondly, why waste energy? Seulgi had like five other shows exactly like that lined up! It was best to conserve as much energy as possible. When it came to dancing AND singing? Well, in Korea she could’ve gotten the proper training for it, but this was not Korea and it wasn’t required.

And her producers wouldn’t allow her, too much waste of cash and time and little rewards by comparison. Surely, internet experts may dismantle the playback to realize she's not singing, vocal experts will make analysis of her voice and performance, and overall it would be suitable for her to be both organic and an artistic powerhouse for the industry. However, did they have the time? No, not really. No monetary reward--at least no significant one--could be had from her training to dance AND sing.

Seulgi patiently waited for the day she was allowed to do stuff she wished to do. She was, if anything, bound to what the producers wanted and she couldn’t wiggle out of most things or slither into projects she wished to be involved in. One of her dreams was to be able to dance and sing at the same time with little problems because she knew for a fact that she’d be able to do it just fine! If Dongho could jog and sing, why couldn’t she?

So, after a while, she began to holler along as much as she could, trying to blurt out and repeat what Dongho said. Soon enough the young man caught on and began to leave her some time for her to finish each repetition.

That jogging session had been the longest in her life.

By the time they reached the town, Seulgi was out of breath and Dongho was lightly glistening with sweat, glowing and b with energy that Seulgi once had and had since lost. Instead of mocking, Dongho patted Seulgi’s back and spoke with a big charming grin. “You did good back there. Hollywood hadn’t softened you up all that much, huh.”

For the first time in the most absolute and genuine way possible since she got here, Seulgi looked up at Dongho and smiled. Mostly because Seulgi and Dongho had been two of the fastest runners of the Parks (not counting an adult Joonhyung whose natural habitat seemed to be up in a tree or running while Eunji was right next to him in each scenario). It had been a long time since they last raced, since they last met. Back then, Seulgi was seventeen and Dongho was merely eleven years old. Seulgi won, of course, but Dongho had never given up. That was one of the many qualities that Dongho inherited from the Kangs. 

Now the tables are turned and he had clearly won this time around, but he wasn’t a sore loser nor a bad winner. Seulgi felt energized again.

Right away, Dongho began to walk around town while doing his best to show Seulgi about town. It was very early in the morning but all the adults were at work already or tidying up their place. Both humble and powerful citizens greeted each other warmly as they walked past one another--a sight that, in the city, would be a miracle. Everyone walked past everyone there, but here it was as if everyone knew one another for the longest time. It was not cruel and dehumanized like in the city, with no one even warmly smiling at each other when they locked gazes. Surprisingly enough, not many people gave Seulgi the stinky eye. Just a few cultured ones did give her a glance and an indifferent shrug but the rest seemed to greet her with warmth. It was probably because Seulgi was still catching her breath and looked like a absolute mess that the locals found themselves smiling, finding a bit of fondness to that humble look of a superstar. A superstar that they paid no mind to, nor knew much of her to begin with. Their children and grandchildren would know, but not them.

What also surprised Seulgi a ton was the way the town almost resembled one of those towns you saw in movies. Somehow they all had a beautiful countryside aesthetic together that was just perfection for any photographer. The sun. My god, the sun! It was hitting in the most beautiful way possible, just peaking up from the mountains to greet the townfolks with brightness and a glow only to be seen in the most fantastical pictures painted and imagined. It was gorgeous. Naturally, the summer heat had not yet started, but everyone was dressed for this occasion with cut sleeves, light shirts, and the kids--the few kids that were running errands early before they got to enjoy their summer break--wore shorts and flip flops, sundresses for the little girls that were accompanying their older brothers to the store. It was nostalgic and somehow it was vastly different from her last visits. When she came about to visit the farm she rarely got to visit town but she remembers the last occasion she did. It was a lively, but far different.

This... Seulgi had missed this look for a long time. She had forgotten the beauty of other places, to enjoy her visits rather than wish to reach the hotel to sleep after a long plane ride. And Seulgi would learn that she had missed more.

The first stop was the Grocery store where Sarah Clover works. The young girl was mopping the floor when she shyly looked over at Dongho and smiled. They shared quick greetings and Seulgi shook her hand politely despite being out of breath and a little ticked off from the longest morning of her life. Dongho was proud of that progress. 

I know, you’re waiting for me to explain who Sarah is right? Truth be told, Seulgi doesn’t know her well if at all. She just knows that she is dating Jay and that Seulgi wonders with all the brain power in her mind how did that come to happen. The girl looked shy, quiet, like she would spend the time in her house reading; she was one that talked very little, too! Compared to Jay who was often very loud and outgoing. Opposites make perfect, I guess. They have found a balance and that’s something that it’s been known to work. 

Quickly, they moved on and Dongho began to get things and cross them off the list. They were mundane items for a mundane family, Seulgi thought, but she herself used those items. She frowned. Since when did she consider other people ‘mundane’ and since when did she forget she was one of them? She was starting to notice a problem there, which she had not a lot of time to ponder about when she saw the first interesting character in town. 

Dongho chuckled and pointed at a tall and bulky man that despite looking scary, he was… a cry-baby. He was also a teddy bear of the sort. Always cuddly, always loving but a cry baby. Not all the time, of course, but he cries rather easily with movies and events like weddings and graduations! Seulgi liked that, he showed his emotions, most people don’t. 

She then thought of her Hollywood and Miami friends, they’d make fun of this man! They did so with a young thin man younger than all of them. He was an emotional young man, going through a tough time in life and her friends made fun of him. It became an inside joke in their group chat for weeks and Seulgi? Seulgi couldn’t help but to laugh at some cruel jokes, but inside she felt rotten, she felt disgusting. She felt angry at herself. How could she let herself become like the very people she repudiated back in High School? The world sure did love to feed Seulgi's mouth with , didn't it?

Dongho didn’t make fun of him, at least it didn’t feel that way for Seulgi. He laughed at some of the silly things, but he also remarked of the time he made Dongho cry too, and they both ended up laughing later on about it. Together.

Seulgi was slowly noticing many things that needed to change with her and her lifestyle. Maybe, and just maybe there really IS a reason why she’s here. Has she been unaware of how much of a monster she has become, how toxic her group of friends is? Truthfully, it’s kind of scary how much you can change without realizing it. And it's even scarier how effective their toxicity is and how late it can be when you realize that you have turned into one of them as well. Joohyun was right, to an extent.

While grocery shopping, she took her time to analyze Dongho now. Truth be told it was quite a strange image the more she pondered about it. A teenager with a pink mohawk, dressed in the height of casual fashion while he is browsing, with a serious and determined frown, all the cilantros. Seulgi didn't quite get it at first, but this was normal. No one got it, because Dongho was like that. He took his chores seriously when it came to it. Cilantro, being his favorite vegetable, was of utmost importance at the moment and he was as quiet as a mute as his brain worked to make the best decision of the best cilantro. Seulgi took a few steps back to watch this scenario and laughed. She had to! I mean, it's kind of weird. But then, she figured that was his brand, right? Dongho was weird. Then, perhaps for a flash of a second, she heard her friends laughing at him, mocking his mohawk or his passion for cilantro. A flash of a second was enough to make Seulgi feel bad, again.

He finally picked a cilantro and smelled it, the fragrance making the little hairs of his body all stand endwise with the delight of a chef eating an excellent meal and the pride of businessman winning millions with an investment that all his peers considered wild. The shopping was done, Sarah rang them up and they were out to the streets. More kids were passing by, the number of townfolks and cars now increasing as the morning went on more. 

The next store was positively her favorite. It was a bakery, fresh bread tenderly caressing her nostrils right away. The old man at the counter recognized Seulgi in an instant and gave her a warm welcome with a hug and a pat to her head. The man was one she recognized from her last few visits. She remembers him for certain, but she does not remember the wrinkles and the gray hair. He was aging quite fast, wasn't he? Seeing him brought nostalgia and at the same time a hint of sadness. He had always been so nice to Seulgi and she had not even bothered to come visit or ask the Parks about him. She felt worse. 

Maybe... Irene was right?

It was a slight sour taste in for certain but she soldiered through with a smile and her head up high. If Hollywood taught her something it was how to fake her emotions and that everything was alright. The shopping list was growing smaller and smaller and Dongho was increasingly more excited to show Seulgi around. The Coffee shop, the cheesecake company, the park (where they found a strange man who was surrounded by friendly pigeons, someone that greeted Dongho very warmly, too) and finally the pub that was close to the river. Finally, they stopped by the river. It was a beautiful place with the water so clean and quiet. The dock was a little old and run down but it was perfect for sitting and thinking about the sight, the noises. The beautiful trees right across from the river were also enchanting, the green mixed with more thick green--. 

Suddenly a body emerged from the water with an almost celestial entrance, a flip of the dame's hair and a shake of her head to push the water away. The paleness of her skin, the water caressing her lips...

"Ah, Joohyun!" Dongho excitedly said as he jumped the slight slope down to the sand and skipped over to the woman in the water. 

It was Irene! Seulgi had stood there frozen, watching her walk out of the water with a swimsuit that stuck to her body marvelously. Looking at her like that now, without the big farm clothing, soaking wet with the beautiful and fresh river water, walking out the water like a goddess from the sea with a shy smile and a soft giggle at Dongho's excitement, Seulgi was absolutely enchanted. Her figure was great, her bare face was ethereal and perfection made flesh. Seulgi gulped.

"We're going back to the farm, you're coming with us, eh?" Dongho asked.

"No, no," Irene shook her head and rubbed her face, shaking the water away to see better. "I can't. I will stay here to practice a bit more, the competition is next week and I need to work on my a little--. Hi, Seulgi," she finally said with a soft tone and waved at the frozen girl.

Seulgi remained frozen and waved back with the strangest smile she's ever put. Not even Hollywood could school her face at that instant where her muscles acted on their own and showcased her raw response. In that moment when they connected gazes, Seulgi felt a big and satisfying sensation in her stomach that traveled up to her chest. Did... 

Did Seulgi get struck by the thunderbolt of love?

What's worse, it seems that Dongho noticed.

Lord help Kang Seulgi.