Thirty Minutes Later

Skye found herself sitting in a familiar armchair located in Gavin’s surprisingly humble abode once more, sipping a glass of water as she awaited her host’s return.  She wasn’t kept waiting long, as her internal musings were interrupted by Gavin’s entrance into the living area a few moments later. She was soon forced to stifle a laugh as the man unceremoniously flopped onto the couch, covering his face with a pillow as he groaned in exhaustion.

“Wow, rough day?” Skye asked, setting down her cup as she leaned forward in curiosity.

“Definitely,” Gavin replied; voice slightly muffled by the pillow covering his face.  “I’m sick of dealing with legal teams. It feels like I have to read between the lines of every statement made, and it’s exhausting.”

Skye smiled at the man’s somewhat childish complaints, joking, “Sounds like you need a therapist.  Why don’t you get me a notepad and pen, and then I can ask how you feel about these problems.”

Gavin pulled the pillow away from his face, glaring at Skye for a moment before bursting into a grin of his own.  His laughter sounded out throughout the room, reverberating off the walls as he sat up and faced Skye directly.

“While I appreciate the offer, we both know that’s not why you’re here,” Gavin declared, expression quickly turning firm.  “Tell me what your concerns are, and I’ll do my best to address them.”

Skye let out an extended exhalation, pausing for the slightest moment before admitting, “I just don’t know what I am supposed to do during the concert if I’m the only person in the entire program without a group.”

Gavin nodded, responding, “I had a feeling that your role would be a major concern for you, so I prepared something special.  I think you’d be a great fit as our MC. It’ll give you an opportunity to showcase your personality and interact with other idols, which should hopefully lead to fans getting excited at the prospect of you in a group with existing members.”

Skye closed her eyes, taking a moment to visualize the proposed reality.  After a short pause, she opened her eyes and matched Gavin’s resolute expression.  “I’d be happy to,” Skye announced, the slightest hint of a smile breaking through as she made her proclamation.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Gavin responded, a smile developing on his own features.  “How you spend the next week of preparation is up to you, but I would recommend talking with some of the idols, as many of them have acted as the MC for music shows, and will have advice for you.  Additionally, you can discuss their performances at the concert and possibly script segments ahead of time.”

Skye nodded, mind already racing with plans as she stood and thanked Gavin for his advice.  Gavin joined Skye in standing and walked with her to the door. Skye stepped out into the darkness, so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t even hear Gavin bid her farewell as she began her journey back to her room.

Emotions, plans, and so much more encompassed Skye's thoughts as she walked alone under the night sky.  The minutes passed by in what felt like seconds, and she suddenly found herself standing outside the massive building that was the home of herself and so many other idols.

She pushed the door open, wincing as the welcome alarm echoed through the dark halls, announcing her arrival.  Shrugging it off, she walked inside and pressed the button to call the elevator.

As she waited, she pulled out her phone, looking down at it as she began to write down some of her thoughts.  A few moments later, she heard the familiar chime announcing the elevator's arrival. She stepped forward blindly, dropping her phone as she walked directly into the unknown figure in front of her.

"Oof!" Skye exclaimed as she recoiled backwards.  She reached down to grab up her phone, but found that the other girl had already done so.  Her eyes rose, and she found herself face to face with Tzuyu, the Taiwanese maknae of Twice.  Skye accepted her phone from the taller girl's outstretched hand, cheeks burning as she hastily issued an apology.

"Don't worry," Tzuyu assured Skye as she began to make her way past Skye and out of the elevator.  Skye stepped aside to allow her passage and began to step inside, but quickly called out to the other girl as an idea came to her.

"Are you and Twice going to be practicing together tomorrow?"  Skye asked, causing the other girl to turn and respond.

“We were planning on it … why?” Tzuyu answered cautiously, eyebrow raised skeptically.

Skye opened to answer, and nervously began to ramble, “Well, it’s because I’m supposed to be the MC for the convention, because I don’t have a group like everyone else, so Gavin - I mean Mr. Moon - suggested that I do this so that I could generate visibility and get closer with the existing groups, and I wish I could say it’s because you guys were a great place to start since you’re so successful in such a short amount of time but it's honestly because you’re right here and-”

“Alright, alright, I get it,” Tzuyu interrupted, causing Skye to realize her rambling and put a halt to it, cheeks flaring once more as she fell silent and wait for a response.

Tzuyu joined Skye in silence for a moment, studying her sheepish expression before responding, “We’re going to begin group practice at 9:30AM.  Do me a favor and message me a few minutes before you arrive, so I can let my members know you’re coming.”

Skye nodded dumbly, stunned at the matter of fact declaration made so quickly by the younger girl.  She waved goodbye as the Taiwanese goddess of popularity turned the corner and vanished from sight. Skye finally stepped backwards into the elevator, allowing the doors to close and beginning her ascent towards her room.

As the elevator rose, Skye mentally recalled the day’s events, and the multitude of fun moments she had shared over a common hobby with people she had idolized a few months prior.  The entire experience still felt surreal, and she wasn’t sure if it was a sensation that would ever truly go away.

A couple floors before her stop, the doors opened and YooA and Mimi joined Skye in the elevator.

Skye bowed slightly, introducing herself, “Hi there, I’m Skye!  It’s a pleasure to meet you both!”

The two idols responded with their own introductions, sharing that they had been chatting with Arin in her room and were returning to their own.

“Ah, I see,” Skye responded, looking to the side and noticing that they had almost arrived at her floor.  Quickly, she turned back to the two idols and explained her role in the convention and asked if they were planning on rehearsing tomorrow.

The older girls confirmed that they were, and the three quickly agreed on a time for Skye to stop by and speak with the group as a whole.  As they concluded, the familiar arrival tone of the elevator sounded, signaling that they had arrived on Skye’s floor. She bowed once more in thanks as she departed, receiving a pair of smiles and waves farewell as the doors closed.

Skye closed the short distance between herself and her apartment, and opened the door to reveal the darkness within.  She moved in and closed the door behind her, listening to the sound reverberate throughout the room as she stepped forward and a light switch.  She winced as her eyes attempted to adjust to the sudden brightness, noticing that once again her roommate seemed to be absent.

After setting down her belongings, she stepped out onto the balcony and took a seat facing the water.  A moment of respite was much needed after the fast pace of the last few days, and Skye seized the opportunity as she basked in the tranquility of the moon wake cast across the ocean.  For just a second, she allowed her mind to be clear of the plans and concerns that were so often overwhelming. Solace was found in the sound of the waves gently lapping against the shore, and the imaginary weight that had been placed on her shoulders disappeared, even if only for this moment.

But eventually, that moment passed.  Thoughts of the upcoming days reentered Skye’s mind, and she went back inside to prepare.  After a few moments of rummaging around in her closet, Skye located her old laptop and began to research information about the groups she was scheduled to interview the following day.  She began to brainstorm questions that she could ask, consulting fansites, official profiles, her own personal notes, and more as she did so.

Once she felt that she was sufficiently prepared for her interviews with Twice and Oh My Girl, she began preparations for the other groups as well.  It felt like only seconds had passed until the clock on the wall rung out twelve times, announcing the beginning of a new day and breaking Skye out of her trance.

Skye forced herself to step away, reminding herself that there was plenty of time for work, but she needed rest.  She quickly prepared for bed, tossing the covers aside and climbing in. As she closed her eyes, she felt an unexplainable feeling of incompleteness.  Despite her best efforts to ignore the sensation, she still found herself dreaming of a world where she shared her bed space with the warmth of someone special.

A Few Hours Later

Skye grudgingly awoke to the cacophony of her alarm, rolling over and sitting up as she silenced it.  She rubbed her eyes drowsily, standing up and making her way to the bathroom, where she lazily began her morning routine.  Midway through her shower, a sudden rush of energy jolted her awake as she remembered her plans for the day. The rest of the routine was completed quickly as she eagerly rushed towards the exciting prospect of getting to know some of her biggest inspirations on a deep, personal level.

A few minutes later, Skye stood by the door, checking the clock to make sure that she was still on track to arrive on time.  To her relief, the rapid completion of her morning routine made it so that she even had time to grab a bite to eat before going to meet with Twice.  With her worries calmed, she departed from the apartment and began to head towards the dining hall.

Skye stepped out of the building and smiled brightly as she was greeted by the warm sunshine and cool winter breeze.  As she walked towards her destination, she reviewed her notes, planning what questions to ask the groups. She soon arrived at the dining hall, and made her way inside, where she noticed a few groups of idols chatting and enjoying their own breakfasts.

Skye quickly grabbed a few things from the buffet, and made her way over to a small, unoccupied table in the corner of the room.  As she began to eat, her mind began to wander. “Only eight days until the concert, and there are nineteen groups …” she muttered, shaking her head in disbelief.  She took another bite of her food, raising her head as she noticed someone approaching.

“Hi there, I’m Yeri!” the maknae of Red Velvet announced as she took a seat across from Skye, setting down her own plate of food as she extended her hand for a handshake.

Skye extended her hand, trying to quickly swallow her food to return the greeting, but ultimately launching herself into a coughing fit instead.  She pulled away, taking a few seconds to recover before turning back to face the amused expression of the younger girl. Skye extended her hand once more, sheepishly shaking the girl’s hand as she responded, “Hi Yeri, I’m Skye.  It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Yeri’s smile only widened as she moved past Skye’s awkward greeting, announcing, “It’s so cool to meet you!  It’s not everyday that you get to meet the biggest mystery of the K-Pop world!”

Skye shrugged, further embarrassed at the title.  “I don’t know if I would go that far …” she responded.

Yeri shrugged, declaring, “I think it’s cool at least!  I remember when there was a lot of buzz surrounding my late inclusion into Red Velvet, I thought it was cool to realize that people care about who you are.”

Skye thought for a second, debating whether or not to ask Yeri about her concerns.  She finally decided to just go for it, asking, “If you don’t mind sharing, ...how did you handle all that scrutiny?  Did you ever feel like … you didn’t belong?”

Yeri paused for a moment, then nodded, an expression of understanding visible on her visage.  “More times than I’d like to remember,” she admitted, her eyes thoughtful as she looked away and cast her mind back to that time years ago.

“How did you deal with that?”  Skye inquired eagerly.

Yeri met Skye’s gaze once more, responding, “I think the realization that finally hit me was that my company, a group of professionals with a proven track record of success, trusted me enough to give me an opportunity to display what I had been working towards for a very large portion of my life.  At that point, the opinions of a few vocal individuals felt insignificant. From there, it was just a matter of me making the most of said opportunity.”

Skye smiled gratefully as she listened to the other girl’s explanation, finding her words soothing in this time of concern.  “Thank you for sharing that with me,” Skye responded. “As I’m sure you’ve guessed, I’ve been dealing with my fears of having to deal with those kinds of vocal individuals.  I think you’re right, and I just need to make the most out of the opportunity I’ve been given.”

Yeri returned a smile of her own, replying, “I’m glad to hear I was able to help, at least a little bit.  Have you asked about having some sort of role in the upcoming convention?”

Skye nodded in confirmation, explaining, “Yep, apparently I’m supposed to be the host for the event, introducing the different groups and asking them questions about their plans moving forward.”  Skye continued, asking, “Are you and the rest of your members practicing tomorrow? I’d love to take the opportunity to sit down and get to know you better before the event.”

Yeri’s eyes lit up happily as she answered, “Actually, we are!  I’d love to get the chance to talk with you further, and I’m positive that the other members would as well!  The conversation of ‘Who’s Skye?’ has been a frequent one in our group chat recently.”

Skye laughed contentedly, thanking the other girl for her kind words and personal advice as they arranged a time to meet up.  Once they agreed upon the details, Skye stood and thanked Yeri for her advice, giving her a friendly hug in farewell and then began heading over to where Twice was practicing.

Before exiting the dining hall, Skye made a quick stop to fill her bag with a few refreshments for the group.  Once completed, she began to walk along the beach across the island to one of the large training halls that were actively being used by a multitude of groups.  Skye located Twice’s room, noticing that she was a couple minutes early to their agreed meeting time. She slipped into the room quietly, hoping not to disturb the group’s practice.

As she closed the door and turned to watch the group, she was astounded by the display in front of her.  As they practiced, she marveled at the level of coordination and focus evident in the faces and actions of each individual.  As she watched, she noted how their movements were perfectly synchronized with each beat of the song resonating down from the speakers lining the walls.

Skye took a seat in the back of the room, mouth agape as she enjoyed the spectacle that was the best selling girl group of all time’s practice.  The remainder of the song passed by in seemingly an instant, and the room fell to silence other than the heavy breathing of the performers as they stood in their final positions.

The girls looked to their choreographer, a wide grin on his face as he moved forward and applauded.  “Great job girls,” he declared, moving to the front of the room to address them all. “I don’t think you need to spend any more time practicing ‘Signal’, but I would still run through it at least once during the dress rehearsal.  Now, I think you all deserve a break, and I think you should say hello to our guest.”

The girls turned around to face Skye, who could only offer a small wave in the face of ten intense gazes suddenly being focused on her.  One much needed deep breath later, she introduced herself, pulling out bottles of water and snack pouches for each of the members as they individually introduced themselves.

Once introductions had been made and each member had received Skye’s small gift, they let out a chorus of thanks and each took a seat.  Skye joined them in sitting as she enjoyed their time of idle chatter, the jovial nature of this conversation a stark contrast to the focused professional determination of their performance rehearsal just a few minutes ago.

Skye cleared , regaining the attention of the members, then announced, “Okay, let’s talk about the convention.  Firstly, I’d like to thank you all for giving me the opportunity to meet you personally. I was a fan of yours long before this program was even announced, so it’s pretty surreal to be sitting here.”

Skye took a moment to survey the room’s reactions, noticing that while each of the girls had likely heard similar declarations in the past, they all still seemed genuinely happy and grateful for her enthusiasm.  With that realization, she continued, “As I told Tzuyu, I’m supposed to be acting as the primary MC for the upcoming convention, and I’d like to have some questions prepared ahead of time, hopefully making your job as easy as possible.”

Jihyo nodded in agreement, responding, “Sounds like a good plan to me.  Where do we begin?”

Skye reached into her bag, pulling out her notebook and a pen before flipping to her page on Twice.  She looked over the questions she had prepared, and decided to begin with a seemingly simple one. “So, what were your first reactions when you heard the announcement that your group would be participating in this program?”

The idols looked around at each other, silently considering Skye’s question.  After a few moments, Chaeyoung broke the silence, answering, “For me at least, my first thought was, ‘Oh god, not ‘Sixteen’ again’.”

Jeongyeon was the next to speak, adding, “My reaction was the same.  That awful survival show was the lowest point in many of our lives, so the thought of having to compete for our careers once again after years of what felt like non-stop schedules to get to the level of success we achieved … it was terrifying.”

Skye looked at the faces of each of Twice’s members, so often referred to as the “Ideal Idols”, and saw the pain behind their eyes.  Skye set down her notebook and pen, the thought of the convention seeming so inconsequential in the face of such an emotional moment.  She finally spoke again, admitting, “I never would've imagined my idols sharing the same fears that keep me awake at night.”

Nayeon let out a warm chuckle as she responded, “Oh, you’d be shocked if you heard some of our stories from the past few years.  In fact, just last night, there was a bug in Jihyo’s bed and she was so scared that she had to leave the room!”

Most of the group joined Nayeon in laughter, but Jihyo’s face burned red in embarrassment.  “You’re one to talk,” Jihyo countered. “I remember a certain someone holding onto my arm for dear life on the boat ride to the island.”

Nayeon’s face shifted to a similar red as she turned away, causing even more laughter to erupt throughout the room.  Sana was the next to contribute, adding, “Or remember when we filmed that show at the amusement park and Momo was too scared to go on the roller coaster?”

Momo was quick to fire back, responding, “Maybe, but do you remember when you called me crying, begging for me to come home because you were alone at the dorm and there was a thunderstorm?”

The entire room filled with laughter as each of Twice’s members shared some of the many memories that had shaped their journey.  Skye simply sat, glad that they were willing to share this moment with her. She joined them in laughter as Chaeyoung pointed out how Dahyun was such a scaredy cat, being afraid of animals, horror movies, and being alone in the dark.  Dahyun simply shrugged as she responded with a sly smirk, causing another round of laughter to echo against the walls.

As the laughter began to die down, Skye took the opportunity to ask her next question.  “So if you’re not all superhuman like us masses of mere mortals assume, how do you overcome those fears?  How are you able to present yourself on stage like you do?”

Skye looked to the older members, expecting them to share a bit of wisdom, but was surprised when Tzuyu was the one to respond.  “For me at least, it was a matter of trust. When I was younger, I hated crying in front of others. Many restless nights began with crying myself to sleep.  It’s taken plenty of time and effort, but I’m getting better at trusting others enough to be comfortable appearing vulnerable in front of them.”

Skye leaned forward, gently wiping away a single unbidden tear that had sprung from the corner of Tzuyu’s eye at the thought of painful memories.  The Taiwanese girl looked up and met Skye’s gaze, whispering a word of thanks as Skye pulled away.

As she resettled, she heard another whisper escape the mouth of a Twice member, this time from Mina, who admitted, “Some of us haven’t gotten over our fears.”

Mina looked to Skye, her own eyes teary as she continued, “I don’t know if I’ll ever look at the stage the same … I can’t even think about performing without becoming anxious.”

Mina’s tears finally spilled over, taking over her body as her stress overwhelmed her and she quietly sobbed.  Skye moved backwards to allow room for the other members to surround Mina in a warm embrace. Soft words of soothing were offered as the girls attempted to console their friend.

After a few moments, the girls parted, allowing Skye to see the girl once more.  Skye felt a tear of her own slip down her cheek as she looked at Mina, who was so clearly overwhelmed by her own emotions.  Skye extended her hand, capturing Mina’s in her own as she gently shared, “As much as I wish I could offer a quick solution, life often isn’t that simple.  I think you’ve set yourself on the right path by acknowledging that this is an issue.”

Skye paused, choosing her words carefully.  “I want you to know that I believe in you. You have eight other people who care for you very deeply who believe in you,” Skye promised, gesturing to the other members of Twice, many of whom had tears in their own eyes.  “Not to mention, you have millions of fans across the globe who believe in you. I just hope that you choose to believe in yourself.”

Skye opened her arms, inviting Mina in for a hug.  Mina gladly accepted, soaking the shoulder of Skye’s shirt as she openly wept, allowing the repressed emotions to finally be free.  Skye sat there gladly, disregarding the passage of time as she and the other members of Twice offered much needed words of support.

Skye allowed herself to separate from the embrace as Mina finally pulled away, gratitude shining through the eyes that had shed so many tears.  Skye offered a small nod of encouragement, smiling genuinely as she looked to the other members. “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to get to know you,” Skye said simply as she began to collect her things.

“What about preparing questions for the convention?” Dahyun asked.

Skye shook her head, responding, “It’s not important right now.  Maybe another time.”

Skye turned, giving a small wave to the choreographer before departing the room, giving the family within the privacy they deserved.  As she made her way towards the exit, the beat from half a dozen other groups’ practice echoing against the halls, she wondered how many other idols harbored similar fears.

Skye stepped outside, putting on her sunglasses in an attempt to not only block out the bright morning sun, but also to hide her teary eyes.  She began to wander aimlessly, eventually finding herself sitting against the base of a large pine tree, hoping the shade would keep her isolated long enough to process her thoughts.

Author's Note:  In no way am I attempting to make light of Mina’s situation.  I wish her the best in whatever path she chooses to take moving forward.  I wanted to write this interaction this way because it’s worth remembering that idols are humans too, and they have issues just like us.  Often on a more magnified scale, because they don’t have the time or privacy to properly address whatever is plaguing them.

Once again, thank you so much for reading!  Please feel free to comment or reach out to me on Twitter (@tylercapistrano) with feedback, requests, or for any other reason.  I hope you enjoyed, and I’ll see you in the next chapter!