In her dream rain was pouring down and a telephone was ringing without interruption, but it was dark and she couldn’t find it… She opened her eyes. She realized she wasn’t dreaming since somewhere a telephone was actually ringing while it was raining. A cold and wet weather had arrived in Seoul but fortunately, under her blankets, in her room, everything seemed warmer. Someone moved next to her. Light hair, sweet-looking. Her eyes flashed to the smartphone which was vibrating on the bedside table, but instead of answering her father she checked the time.

Hey, it’s 10 a.m. – when are you leaving?

She put her feet on the heated floor and she quickly picked up the clothes, throwing them at the person still under the blankets. Rule number one: no one could stay after 9 a.m. and, whoever that stranger met the night before was, he had already taken an extra hour. The person mumbled turning in the bed. She grumbled  opening a closet. 

I’m about to do this the hard way – if you don’t want me to try the teaser on what you have between your legs, go away. 

She started the device in her hands, which began to do an electrical noise. The young man seemed to realize how real was the threat and opened his eyes jumping on his feet. 

Now. 

She mumbled throwing the teaser back in the closet. 

I’m gonna take a shower, when I come back you’d better be gone. 

Maybe he tried to tell her something, but she had already vanished towards her bathroom. It was just a one-night stand of , but way more often than she expected every man, or woman, who had slept with her had ended up asking her something more, whether it was breakfast, her number, or even just to thank her for the night. What everyone didn’t understand was that she didn’t want to have something to do with them anymore. Especially with men, she found them extremely more fragile, always in need of reassurance and compliments. With women everything was simpler, but she was in Korea after all and in more than one occasion she had had to face the self-righteous and homophobic opinions of the society. Everyone knew she was biual. Her coming out had been a scandal for months and months and even now, after four years, it was causing arguments. Only a few people really accepted it, but she was untouchable and far enough from people who could actually end her career for something like that. The only reason why women were rare in her apartment was that not all of them were willing to put up with the pressure of newscasts. Careers could end, but above all it was the life of each one of those people who could end up in a terrible media guillotine.  Whoever decided to spend their night with her had to know very well what they would have to face by following her into her apartment. So it had become inevitable to look for male company in her free time, not to mention the fact that the chances of success were way higher. 

She got out of her bathroom after 30 minutes, wearing only her underwear, her hair pulled under a towel. She usually spent her time at home or wearing as less clothes as possible, it made her feel free. She entered her room and noticed that the young man had left her apartment, she combed her hair and took her telephone: three missed calls from her father. A part of her was extremely curious to find out the reason of those insisting calls, but she preferred to wait: the word wouldn’t have burned unless she wanted to.  It could wait. Everything could wait. She put down her telephone while her attention was being captured by her handbag on the floor, all her stuff spilled around it. She was sure she was the one who had thrown it, too busy with her one-night stand to focus on anything else. She quickly started to pick everything up when she suddenly lingered on a small book. She vaguely remembered it from the evening before, it was Jongin’s and he had forgotten it at Dinasty. She never read, except glossy magazines and Twitter, if that could be considered ‘reading’. The title was written in English, as the words inside it, and it had to be a very old edition. ‘The Little Prince’ was written in big letters on its cover. She knew it, she knew it was a children’s book, but she had never read it and the reason why someone as grown as Jongin could find that thing interesting was a complete mystery to her. The cover was creased, the pages could have come off at any moment. She sat down on the edge of her bed starting to leaf through them with her long and thin fingers. 

Fall asleep in my arms,

don’t wake up,

morning will come again.

Now you can peacefully dream

at the end of this loneliness.

Just turn off the lights today.

It sounded like a poem or something very similar. She found other notes scribbled here and there on the empty edges of the pages of the book or on the pictures. That rectangle of consumed paper somehow had to be very valuable to the young man. She put it on the bedside table. It had definitely been a of luck, she could have found it useful in the future. Her telephone started ringing once again. She picked up this time. 

Fortune was blind, but Seulgi was still convinced that the blindfolded Goddess had great consideration for her since in the last few days everything had gone way too well. One of the members of Nebulae had gotten injured during rehearsal, of course she was extremely dismayed to hear the news, and her father had called her to ask her what to do next with the group. When she had put down her telephone she couldn’t have helped but think that it was her greatest chance to get in Doyeon’s way and get rid of her once and for all. Her father, during the call, sounded way more worried about Doyeon, pointing out how the accident of the other girl would have slowed down Nebulae’s rehearsal and put Doyeon in a mood. Doyeon. Doyeon. Doyeon. Always Doyeon. It seemed like no one could stop talking about her. About how perfect, talented, kind and intelligent she was. People mentioned her even when things had nothing to do with her. To Seulgi she was nothing but a terrible, spoiled young girl who had a way too easy life. 

Monday morning came with rain and wind, but she was in a damn good mood. She told her assistant that that day she wouldn’t have come to her office because she had many appointments, including discussing an important matter with Doyeon…

Nagyung, could you tell me Doyeon’s schedule for today? You know, off the record… 

She said staring at her left waiting for things to turn out how she wanted to.

I wanted to talk with her about the debut to see if she’s interested in pursuing a solo career instead of… You know… The group.

It wasn’t true but it was convincing enough even to her. Doyeon was an excellent dancer, a great vocalist and a good enough rapper, plus everyone knew she was a bit of an attention-seeker. Not as much as her, but Seulgi knew the rumors about her suffering because she had to share the lights of success with someone else. For all Nagyung knew, she sounded like she actually wanted to suggest something like that to Doyeon. She found out that she would meet the injured friend in her apartment. That was an opportunity too good to miss. 

That’s all for now.

She started to dismiss her assistant. 

Oh, mum’s the word, I wish this stays… a secret until Doyeon decides what to do! And you don’t want to be fired. 

She added with tone. The girl at the other side of the telephone mumbled something that sounded like ‘quiet as a mouse’, but she really was too terrified at the idea of losing her job and being, probably just in her head, burnt to ashes by Seulgi to even think of telling it to someone. Seulgi smiled at her reflection in the mirror. 

Just like that afternoon came. It was pouring and she didn’t fell like getting out of the car who had brought her in front of Dami’s apartment, the girl who got injured during rehearsal, at all. She stared outside the window waiting for a sign, waiting for the reason why she came there to appear, only at that point she would have come out. She looked at the watch around her wrist, Doyeon could have appeared at any second, it was early afternoon and she wouldn’t have risked to stay too long away from Dinasty. Until proven otherwise her liberty lasted only a few hours in the midst of the preparation for the debut. A movement down the road caught her eyes: a bus passed by in the street across her. She smiled and got off slamming the door. She left her umbrella in the car and texted her driver to let him know where to get the car. She ran under the rain, trying to shelter herself with a newspaper. She went around the corner and saw Doyeon getting off the bus. She pretended she didn’t see her, running while losing her breath, and hit the girl. 

Watch where you’re going! Oh, Miss Kang! 

Under her pastel pink umbrella the young girl became red. Seulgi stared at her, acting surprised at the sight of her. Doyeon lowered her head apologizing at least ten times. Then, after realizing that the young woman in front of her was not only her employer’s daughter, but was also getting drenched, out of kindness, what Seulgi saw as ‘being naïve’, she got closer to make Seulgi stand under her umbrella. 

You’re gonna catch a cold. Haven’t you got an umbrella? What are you doing here? 

The second question sounded way more suspicious than the first. She couldn’t blame her and she had seen it coming. Doyeon knew Seulgi didn’t like her, it wasn’t a mystery. And yet Seulgi was sure she could rely on other traits of the girl to manipulate her.

I won’t blame you if you think I came here to poison Dami. I haven’t given you any reason to think otherwise, right? 

She begun while actually starting to get worried. She would have definitely caught a cold, but it was a price she was willing to pay for something greater. Doyeon stared at her disoriented. Seulgi could read on her face that the girl was thinking exactly what she had just said. Maybe she wasn’t expecting her to actually poison Dami, but something very similar. The good manners of the trainee were enviable, she pressed her lips without even replying. Doyeon feared her, just like everyone else, but it was clear she was surprised at that sudden change in Seulgi’s behavior, who had prepared an explanation, but first they had to get far from the rain. The young center of Nebulae saw that Seulgi was trembling, that wasn’t a pretence, and she immediately felt sympathy for her.

Well, let’s go, Dami will be pleased that at Disnaty you care about her… 

The doubtful Doyeon led the way to Seulgi, she went up the the few steps and buzzed. Everything was going how Seulgi had planned it. The idea of spending even half an hour at Dami’s house when she could have been anywhere else, maybe in a sauna basking in warmth, would have demoralized her in any other situation, but not in that one, in which her only goal was clear at her eyes. With a crack the door was opened and they went up the stairs until they reached the apartment in which the young girl, who lived alone, was recovering from the injury. 

Half an hour later Seulgi was waited on hand and foot. Her wet clothes were in the dryer and Dami had given her a cozy and warm pajama, definitely not her style, but she was invigorated from the cold felt in the name of her personal battle. She was sipping a hot peach tea, sweetened with honey, and stared at the rain pouring down outside the window in the living room. Dami had been talking about her condition for ten minutes straight, she was already getting better and she was glad it had happened during the weekend. After hearing this Seulgi was already lost in other thoughts. Not to mention the fact that she was extremely nervous at the idea of having to wait another thirty minutes to have her clothes back. She was told that with few clothes inside the dryer it would have taken an hour to have them ‘as new’, but she wanted to complete her mission as soon as possible and go home. Patience. Patience is a virtue. She often found it hard to remember, because she had never been patient. Everything and immediately, that’s how her world worked. 

Miss Kang…? 

She jumped when the girl called her back from her thoughts and the revision of her revenge. She focused on the two girls that were now staring at her with curiosity. She massaged her temples. She had to be patient, less than thirty minutes and it would have been over, she could have returned to her usual attitude towards them. 

Thank you for coming, this was a surprise. 

Dami thanked her with a smile. She actually seemed pleased at the presence of the girl in that room. She had to be masochist. If Doyeon was naïve because she was too good, Dami was stupid. She smiled, trying to look constipated.

I was mentioning this to Doyeon when we met earlier, I have a role to play, you know it. 

She stared in particular at Doyeon, making eye contact, because she wanted to deliver those lies to her.

Doyeon, especially you… 

She alluded at her behavior towards the girl which, according to the rumors, was unorthodox. She was too mean, she was always out of the line. She remember what Jongin said to her and went furious. She acted in a certain way because those girls deserved it and no one seemed to understand that.

I hope you can understand it…  I’m not the narcissistic you think I am. I need people to respect me. I’m not in a good position after all. I’m the daughter of a powerful man, who had everything from life.

Who had what she deserved, that’s what she meant, but she omitted it, making it sound like things shouldn’t be that way.

I have to prove that I deserve it. That I’m different from my father. That I have my own identity. I can’t be this Seulgi, the one who is in this room, I hope you can understand it… 

Her voice faded out as she looked outside the window with a dramatic expression on her face. That had to look like a part of herself that no one could see, that she always hid, in the dramas she was used to watch it worked like that. Her acting was so on point that maybe she deserved an award. She was proud of herself, but she couldn’t feel safe yet. She sensed the eyes of the girls on her and, if Dami could be a bit more sympathetic, Doyeon had suffered harassment and humiliation since her first days at Dinasty. She gazed at them and gave them a bittersweet smile, then she looked down, as if she was ashamed of what she had just said, of having showed them so much, of looking so fragile. 

I knew you couldn’t be a witch, now it’s easier to accept what you say, you know?

Said Dami happily. Bingo. Accepting what she said was easier, but not as much as manipulating Doyeon thanks to the unintentional help of that dumb and gullible girl Dami was. A considerable help, she wanted to thank her, overlooking the fact that she had just called her a ‘witch’…

Thank you Dami, it comforts me. If this was a movie I’d be the antagonist, right? Maybe I deserve the title of ‘witch’. 

She wasn’t anyone’s antagonist, she was the main character of her own story and probably even of the ones’ of the girls in front of her who couldn’t be important even in their own existences. What a pathetic and miserable scene, but it brought Dami to laugh and Doyeon to smile, as if her apparent acceptance had brought her to reevaluated Seulgi. A sound stopped Dami from saying something more, it had to be the dryer, she said at the two girls while leaving the room.  After a few seconds they heard her voice coming from a near room. 

Doyeon could you come here?! 

She sounded extremely worried and the tone of her voice upset Seulgi. What was she doing? Had she figured out something? Doyeon gazed at her, as if she wanted to keep an eye on her one last time before leaving the room, then she got up and walked out of the door. Seulgi heard a fuss and the muffled sound of the girl’s voices coming from a closed door. She had no idea if they were talking about her or about her clothes and she found herself hoping it was the last one. She preferred to know that her clothes had shrunk so much that they could fit only an infant if the alternative was that the girls had figured out something, even if that was impossible.  She had calculated everything. No one could have doubted her. The girls kept on talking and she decided to implement her plan. 

What are you doing? 

Doyeon’s voice coming behind her back surprised her and made her jump. She splashed water everywhere and replied showing the soaped mug she was holding. 

I’m sacrificing my manicure, it’s obvious.

She said with a shy smile, showing that her words weren’t mean. She was actually cursing herself for that idiotic cleaning-lady-behavior. She had never washed even a fork, but that was part of her act as well. Not too long and everything would have ended.

Thank you so much, Miss Kang. Your clothes… There’s been a small problem.

Dami’s voice became thinner and thinner. Seulgi was about to find out why she had called Doyeon in the other room, but at least it cleared her from any doubt she had felt before about them finding out what she was doing that day, stuck in a social situation completely out of her element. Seulgi raised an eyebrow, frowning as her usual-self, she wanted to remind them who was in charge, she couldn’t allow them too much freedom and at Dinasty she would have kept on treating them as usual. She didn’t want them to get too used to that Seulgi. That wasn’t her, but only the image of a stupid girl who could fit their ideal of ‘best-friend’. Dami showed her the clothes and she noticed her sweater was missing a button. 

I don’t know how this could have happened, if you want I can buy you a new one… 

She cried with an even thinner voice bowing a couple of times while she was still holding her clothes. Seulgi took them.

You’d have to work this lifetime and the next one before you could afford it.

She hissed shrugging. Dami smiled in a bitter way, even if she definitely looked relieved.

I’ll buy another one. They’re mass-produced. 

She explained while waving it. It wasn’t a damage as terrible as they thought and she had worn cheaper clothes than usual. She knew it would have rained and she knew what those clothes could have suffered. She was a cold calculator after all. She went to change her clothes. 

Now I have to go, maybe I’ll buy an umbrella. Take care, Dami. 

She said. She put on her coat and went along with her recital by giving a grim look outside the window. She sighed. She left and started to go down the stairs. She opened the door. 

Miss Kang! 

Doyeon was quickly coming after her. 

Where do you have to go? Since you haven’t got an umbrella I was thinking I can come with you… 

That was even more than she had hoped for. Every doubt regarding her person had been cancelled thanks to her perfect recital and the plan had gone even too well, now she had to take care of other details, but that was something easier to do. She had to obtain some things in order to do so but for someone in her position that would have been easy. She pretended to be surprised and thankful while the umbrella was being opened over her head as she went outside.

I’ve called my driver.

She pointed at the card parked at the side of the road. The driver was near it under an umbrella and with a friendly smile on his face. He waited for the girls to be closer and then he opened the door for Seulgi. 

Thank you, Doyeon.

She felt bile in . She pronounced those words while faking a smile towards her and trying now to throw up. The girl nod. She didn’t have to thank her of course, but that was one of those things which she knew could hook people like her. 

I would have never thought I’d say it, but it’s been a pleasure, Miss Kang.

She smiled back and Seulgi got in the car. The door was slammed after her and, while the driver went around the vehicle, the visual took a step back. Seulgi raised two fingers while waving goodbye and the car left. She fell on the backrest. 

It’s been a pleasure for me as well. 

She said to no one, before smiling to herself. She was about to get rid of Nebulae once and for all.

Autor's note:
Hello friends and welcome back to another update. This chapter is really long, isn't it? Now things started moving a bit, our Seulgi is playing her own game and can you tell what will happen next?
I wanted to thank you because in the past week the number of subscribers grown a bit and i'm actually touched by it. I didn't expect people to like this story. Even if we are still few i really treasure each and everyone of you. I want to improve and write always a better chapter so that you can have a great time reading it. 
If you liked the chapter give it a thumbs up, comment anything in the comment section down below, and subscribe to the story too! And if you have some constructive criticism let me know what do you think i should do better next time!
Let's meet soon on the next chapter ♡