C H A P T E R  2   

“BLACKVELVET!”

“Irene-ssi, please look here”

“Unnie! Jennie-unnie! Saranghaeyo!”

“Lisa-oppaa! Yerim-ahh!”

Sunglasses. That’s what Jennie Kim was repeatedly thanking the gods for. Well, aside from protecting her eyes from the blinding flashes of the cameras, it also helped cover her face. Despite having an ‘outfit of the day’ to die for, her face, however, was a complete mess since she was too wasted to move and she didn’t even have the energy to get her non-existent eyebrows drawn.

She looked at the older unnie who she was hooking her arm into, also wearing a sunglasses, smiling at her fans despite being exhausted from last night’s shooting.

She turned around to check on the maknaes and they were beaming with sunshine. Jennie did wonder how they still got the energy to jump around and giggling like 12 year old dumb dumbs. But then again, they were her dumb dumbs.

When she turned her attention back to her front, she saw her.

Hair as black as the night, sharing the same color of the hoodie that was covering her figure; In her face was a familiar face mask with a dog illustration in it, hiding the owner’s vibrant pale skin. A camera in her hand and her eyes focusing on her model. A model in the form of Bae Irene.

It was Irene’s consistent yet mysterious fansite master.

“She’s here again!” Jennie heard Yeri say..

“Oh! But where’s the other one?” Lisa followed up and that made Jennie wonder too. Because there was usually someone else, someone with the same hoodie but with a different mask -- a bear instead of a dog illustration -- also sporting another camera with big lenses, but the said someone was nowhere to be found. Traffic maybe, Jennie thought but not realizing the accuracy of her statement.

“Unnie, do you want to buy any snack?” she said as she turned her face to the older girl, only to be taken by surprise with what she saw. Because she didn’t know why in the world was Bae Irene smiling so sweetly at the mysterious fansite master.

“Young lady, are you saying that I drove for two hours and you can’t pay me!?” the cab driver screamed, some droplets of saliva falling disgustingly from his mouth. Good thing Seulgi’s reflexes were fast enough not to let it fall to her clothes or her face.

“L-look! Ahjussi! I’m so sor--”

“I am trying to make a living here! I have a daughter to feed! And some loans to pay!”

“Sorry, sir! I didn’t expect that the fare will blow up like this but I-”

“Sorry will not make it. I am bringing you to the police”

Seulgi gulped. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t have any extra money in her pockets and in her worn out wallet.

She was on the verge of tears, only she was saved by the bell when a pale hand knocked the cab and a Kim Jisoo’s head peeked at the windows.

The driver rolled down the windows and was greeted by a Kim Jisoo’s trademark heart-shaped smile.

“Hello, sir. I think that’s my friend out there” she pointed at the now relieved bear sitting cutely on the back seat. “I am so sorry for the trouble” she said while reaching for her designer wallet then later pulled out some few bills. “Here, sir. I threw in some hundreds for the unnecessary stress. We’re so sorry for the inconvenience”