If one could choose at what time they should get up for the rest of their life, what time would it be? Probably the time that they prefer day after day. Well, she could do it.
If one could decide to have their make-up done or their outfits recommended by experts, which one would it be? Probably the one they know less about. Well, she could have both.
If one could decide to eat in a luxury restaurant in Seoul, South Korea's capital, where would they go? Probably the best one. Well, she could go to them all.
If one could choose their own dream job, what would it be? Probably the one where you're in charge, you do nothing and still earn millions of won. Well... she had this as well.
And if one, eyes closed, dreamt their ideal life, what life would it be? She didn't have to imagine, because she had it. That was the ideal life everyone would want.

Envied and craved, and destined to remain so, her life was based on the daily, on an extraordinary routine created especially for her. It wasn't a case she had ended up on the list, drawn up by Forbes, of the most powerful thirty people under thirty years old of the world. Everything revolved around her, or was at her feet, because her father had laid the foundation for it to be so. In order for Kang Seulgi to impose and claim rights, to rule without anyone's complaints, to let her freely move her steps on an unavoidable pair of Louboutin in that universe of a perfect spoiled daughter that had been built for her and that she would have never traded for anything else in the world.

Good morning Miss, have you slept well?

Every morning that was the first sound that welcomed her into the new day ahead of her. Sure, it wasn't hard to sleep well when in your life you had all the possible comforts. She was looked after and pampered, living without that luxury seemed impossible and exhausting. She could take her time, eat what she wanted, have her make-up done, have her outfits recommended, she could drive herself or be taken around Seoul if she didn't want any thoughts.

Have a nice day, Miss.

The concierge of the building in which she lived at the top floor never missed to greet her and open the door for her. All the people in her life worked so that she could be happy and that made the young woman feel powerful. In time it had become a sense of omnipotence and she never failed to throw back at others, when arguments occurred, how 'pitiful' their lives were.

Good morning miss Kang!

When she arrived at Dinasty Entertainment, her father's agency, her assistant was always at the entrance ready to quickly whisper her the most succulent news, only positive ones. Problems, if there were, were certainly not of her competence.

Your father wants to see you!

That was something new. Her father rarely summoned her in his office, they didn't speak much, although he spoiled her to the point of excess. From her assistant's bright tone she could tell it was nothing serious, but it was a change of program, and she didn't like them.

What have I become? An ordinary employee that you can summon in your office at your convenience?

The door behind her back hadn't shut yet when she went to sit down without even waiting for her father to invite her to do so. She crossed her legs slowly rotating the leather chair on which she had sat. Her father's office was huge, with wide windows and a view on Gangnam among the most beautiful ever. Dinasty wasn't an ordinary agency... made of four main structures with offices, practice rooms, the studios - a quite low and long shaped facility that could easily contain, in its larger part, an airplane - the apartments for all the employees - so that they could be very close and ready when needed - plus a private road on which looked over the dorms of the idols, actors and models under the label. It was a neighborhood. A neighborhood inside the rich district of Gangnam. It had everything, shops and comforts of various kinds, a clear sign that the standard of living in that portion of Seoul reached its highest peak. Not among regular employees, however, who were forced into unorthodox working hours because someone had to sustain the 'shack'. And yet no one, in thirty years of existence of Dinasty, had ever voluntary resigned. Because it was stable, the only agency that hadn't known the crisis of kpop that ten years before had almost decreed its disappearance. Because the pay was good, according to the South Korean standards. And because you got to work with the best and everyone wanted to be proud to be among them. Not Seulgi, though, who saw being summoned in an office as the worst shame that could ever happen to her. She was not part of the 'ordinary' employees. She had nothing of ordinary, and she wanted to know the reason of that call hoping it was convincing, otherwise no one would have taken her away the taste of starting a fight at 10.00 a.m. . She looked away from the view and stared at her father who, since she had entered, hadn't made the slightest sign of noticing her. He was looking outside the windows at something she couldn't see.

Have you noticed the incredible upward trend of the stock market?

Had she been called for this? To talk about the trend of the stock market? She kept shut, she could be as cheeky as she wanted with everyone else, but with her father she knew there was a limit she could not pass - her entrance had already made her pass for a rude person, but the fortune of having a compliant father, at least with her, allowed her to be a bit more impudent than usual now and then. He finally looked away from Seoul to look at her. She could tell for sure, even if now there were a few years to cover his handsomeness, that his father had been extremely charming when young. Even now, almost 55 years old, he had high cheekbones, like hers, a quite small face and deep eyes. He had also been lucky to have an extremely fair complexion that still stood up against wrinkles and age spots.

I wanted to speak to you face to face, Seulgi, because I know how much you like to choose and be in charge... I think the time to give you more space has come.

That prospect sounded menacing. She already knew where he was going with that and yes, she enjoyed choosing for others, her father was right, but she had no intention of ending up under the fire of medias for something wrong. She knew that world. She had seen what happens to people who make mistake. If it was up to her, she would have kept on going on with her private incomes until the end of her life, money certainly wasn't lacking. The idea of exposing herself and 'having more space' sounded like a death knell.

Wouldn't you like to have control over one of our groups, as general manager? You would be respected.

It was a way too bland attempt even for her father who, as compliant and generous as no one, had never actually forced her to do something in her life. That was a half-hearted try, like he had changed his mind just by looking at the expression on the young woman's face.

No, I wouldn't like it. Is that all?

She asked while standing up. But yes, that was all. Her father didn't have on her the same grip he had on his affairs. The discussion was over before it had even started. She took a peppermint from the desk.

Nebulae will debut and-

She stopped immediately. That was bad news, way worse than being summoned in her father's office to talk about nothing. 'Nebulae' were her father's new project that had taken away from him hours of sleep, freedom and mental health. They had become the agency's obsession, because they were promising. All of them were charming, polite, with 5 years of training, extremely talented - not according to her. They were so 'extremely' that she got annoyed just by hearing their name.

Have you lost your mind again?

She insinuated trying to make him recall the common sense he had had a few months back, when during an argument the topic 'debut' had been abruptly put aside after one of her hysterical cries, and that now he seemed to have lost again.

We have already talked about this, they aren't ready. You have dozens of artists better than them.

Seulgi, the label hasn't debuted a new group in 4 years, that's a lot of time and Nebulae have been training for 5 years. They're ready. I don't understand why you're so against this...

The idea of starting to cry again came to her in a flash, but she had too much make-up on her face to think that was a good one. She had to convince him that that wasn't the time and she had to do it only with her words, no dramas, she had to come up with the best of her.

'11:11' just had a comeback which is doing amazing. Your two other boy groups are in the middle of their world tours. Zara is the best indie artist Korea has seen in at least twenty years. You have a girl group active in Japan and Diana have collaborations for at least half a century-

He didn't look convinced. He already knew those things. If she wanted to change his mind she had to make him reflect on something he hadn't thought about yet and she had to do it quickly, not to mention she had to look extremely convincing. Warning him about the possibility that the group could have failed wouldn't have been enough since it would have never happened. Not when, without having debuted yet, Nebulae were the main topic of discussion on social networks. She glanced at the pictures on the wall, mostly photos of her father with his artists. He kept them there as a habit, not to feel lonely or to remember how many people had been under his control, how much they had been successful and how much the world expected from him, from Dinasty. And then her eyes fell on the answer to her problems. A corner of bent into a smile already anticipating her victory.

Him.

She said while going towards that picture.

He's your top artist. You can't make them debut when he hasn't done a comeback! That would be outrageous!

She slightly exaggerated making the tone of her statement more dramatic than it should have been. It had to look like it was about him and not about her. That artist's career and not her ego. Her father moved his gaze from her to the picture. He was weighing up her words, he hadn't thought of that, even if he still looked doubtful. She had to insist to the point of being fully convincing.

He's the only Korean artist to have won a Grammy, he's been with you for 10 years, he brought ballet to the fore, he mixed it with hip-hop and contemporary. He hasn't had a comeback in almost a year, that's what the fans want and you owe them your success.

Her father was successful thanks to the fans' obsession. That had been since the beginning of Dinasty Entertainment. Fans had grown attached to the products, because to her idols were that and nothing more: products that they sold. They would have cut one of their legs in order to support those money-making machines that idols were. She found them ridiculous. How could one dedicate, or better, give, their adolescence to someone who doesn't even know of their existence was still a mystery to her. They were only pretty faces and fan-service, and yet they worked. So, thinking about it, the reason behind her father's success, and behind the good life she could have, was in the neuronal incapacity, in the stupidity and in the shallowness of thousands of people.

Do you think so?

Now they were talking and she could clearly hear the instability in her father's voice. She walked towards him, ready to lay it all on the line. She put a hand on his arm and she gave him an amiable smiled. Now she had to play the part of the good, thoughtful daughter who had the agency's interests at heart.

Dad, in a couple of months he could have his comeback and then we'll talk again about Nebulae. Let's focus on him for now. Give Jongin his comeback.

 

Autor's note:
Well, thank you for coming all the way down this very 1st chapter! I really don't know what to say since i'm a bit insecure when it comes to my writing skills. I loved writing about SeulKai and this is my first time publishing an AU inspired to them, so i'm really excited yet worried if this makes any sense... I wanted to change the game a bit and in my mind Seulgi became the opposite of the usual Seulgi we all love. As you saw Jongin isn't in this first chapter but soon he'll become the most important player in our scenario! Hope you guys like it, but if not feel free to comment down below and tell me what you guys think so i can improve myself!

Since today is Seulgi's birthday let's celebrate and shower her with tons of love.
Let's meet soon when i'll post the 2nd chapter! ♡