Growing up in front of the whole world, Irene thought she's already used to it all- the paparazzis, stalkers, the degrading articles, and whatnot. She's been in the industry for 8 long years anyway, ever since she was 17, but she has started writing lyrics and creating music in the early years of her teenage life.

Music has been the only constant thing for the girl, something that helped her when she was younger, something that saved her from loneliness from having no friends at school.

But even after all those eight years, she can't still seem to figure out how she can successfully eat her lunch without hundred of camera clicks and flashes watching and disturbing her. She just wanted to have a nice meal alone but these paparazzis aren't giving her that. How did they even know she's already back from tour when she just landed around thirty minutes ago?

She had just finished the last leg of her Asia tour, wrapping the RED tour with hundred thousands combined concert attendees from around the world. With her flying country to country, she definitely missed her favorite food, teokbokki, so she asked her bodyguards to take her here in her favorite restaurant as soon as they dropped her suitcases in her apartment.

Irene internally sighed as she doesn't want those paparazzis think she was being a or something. This is one of those moments when she wishes she's just Bae Joohyun from Daegu and not Bae Irene the singer.

"Miss Irene, do you want to leave now?" One of her bodyguards Mike asked when he noticed the girl's distraught. "No, I want to eat here. Can you just please ask the manager if they have a more secluded space for me?"

Her bodyguard nodded before walking away. He came back few minutes later with the manager to direct her somewhere more private than her initial table, she was now sat in her usual seat away from the big windows of the restaurant.

"I'm so sorry, Irene. I didn't know you were here and the waitress who assisted you was new so she isn't aware that this is the table we usually give you." The manager said when she has settled down in her seat.

"It's okay. I didn't call before coming so I thought this seat was already taken."

"This table is specifically yours, Irene. We don't let others use this. The next time you visit, just go straight to this table." Irene let out a small laugh with what the manager has said before giving her a nod and a small 'thank you'.

She was in the middle of eating with her two bodyguards doing the same seated few tables away from her when she received a call from her manager.

"Hey, Jill."

"Irene! I have good news for you!"

"Uh, yeah, hi too." She jokingly said when her manager didn't even bother greeting her. "What's the good news?"

"I received a call from AA Agency, and they want you to sing for their next runway show!" Jill excitedly said.

"AA Agency? You mean for the Aria's Angels Fashion Show?!" Aria's Angel is one of the most-known lingerie brands in the world and every year, they organize a big fashion show with a lot of beautiful models doning the new collections. 

"Yes!"

Irene gasped before answering, "You are joking!"

"I'm totally not! I'm so excited! So do you want it?"

"Jill!!! Do you really even have to ask?" She asked incredulously before she added, "Yes!!!"

She went back to her apartment after her meal while her bodyguards went to theirs in the first floor to get some rest since Irene knew they were also tired from all their travels. She wouldn't need them anyway as her apartment has the best security system here in Incheon.

She's currently trying to clean up her living room before her parents and her younger brother arrive. There's not much cleaning to do anyway since she has been away and she cleaned up before leaving for her tour.

She was in the kitchen finishing the meal she's cooking when she heard beeps coming from her door, seems like her family is already here.

"Mom?" she shouted from the kitchen. "I'm here in the kitchen!"

"Hello, sweetheart!" Her dad said enveloping her in a big hug when he reached the girl. "I'm sorry, I couldn't go with you in your Asia tour, but I hope your mom took care of you well."

"Of course, I did." Her mom interjected and hugged her. "I missed you already, dear."

"You're kidding mom, it's just four hours since we parted from the airport." She said and turned off the stove.

"It's true, she wanted to go here as soon as she arrived home." Jin, her younger brother, said.

"Well, I'm the favorite child so it's no wonder."

"Huh, you can see the new car in my garage to prove you've been thinking wrong this whole time."

"A new car?!" Irene looked at her mom and her dad now avoiding her gaze. "Mom! He's making his own money playing baseball, why did you buy him a car?!"

"Yah!" She turned to her brother, "You're really shameless!"

The three of them just laughed at her and then they decided to set the table for dinner. Irene really likes cooking which she got from her mother so she always cook food for them whenever they visit her house.

"I still can't believe you guys bought him a new car." Irene said when they were done eating.

"Oh get over it, Joohyun. Jin here just finished a season with flying colors, he deserves a reward." Her dad said.

"I just finished a world tour, I also deserve a reward!"

"Okay, fine. What do you want?"

Irene started thinking of what she wants to have and she thought of something that she's been wanting to do since last year.

"Well, you know I'm kind of in a break right now, right?" She looked at her parents expectantly and they hummed. "What are your plans, anyway? Travel while you write?"

"Well, the plan is to get inspirations so I can write something for the next album. Though I already have some songs written from the past months, I think it's better if I'll get to add more."

"Okay, so what is it that you want?" Her mother asked. "A vacation?"

"Well, kind of..."

Her brother laughed at her side knowing where this is going.

"Shut up, Jin."

"So?"

"Well, you know how I've been asking you to allow mo to live in Japan, right-"

"Joohyun. No." Her mother said with finality.

"But, mom! I need a new environment. I can't just stay here, I need inspiration!"

"Your mom is right, Joohyun. You can go there for days or even a week, but to live there? No."

"Dad, please, hear me out first." She pleaded, "I need a new environment, somewhere far from all these paparazzis, and issues about me dating around. I still can't watch the news and read the newspapers because I'm afraid my last relationship is still one of the headlines. I need to be somewhere else."

Her parents sighed but it seemed like they were actually kind of relenting to the idea. "How are you sure it won't be the same there?" Her mom asked.

"No one would know I'll be moving there. If they do, they won't know where I'll live unlike here where paparazzis camp out of my building."

"I don't know, Joohyun... Japan is just too far from here. We can't just go a drive going there."

"I can always have you fetched using my plane, you know there's no problem with transpo."

Her parents looked at each other and sighed before her mom turned back to her, "When do you plan on going?"

"Well, I'll start looking for a place as soon as you say yes. But most likely, I'll fly there after the AA Fashion Show next month."

"AA Fashion Show? As in Aria's Angels?" Her brother asked in surprise. "Yes, why?"

"What are you going to do there? You're too small to be their model so why?"

"Yah!" Irene hit her brother in the back of his head before he can even stand up. This jerk!

"It's true!"

"Whatever," she rolled her eyes and proceeded to tell her parents the call she received from Jill. She's going to perform two songs for the show as the models stride down the stage. One in the middle of the show and the other one for the final walk. She's really excited because she has been dreaming of performing for this event for how many seasons now and finally, she got the call! Also, two of her friends Wendy and Jennie are also going to perform and it makes her excited to bond with them soon.

"So..." Jin started after she's done talking, "Do you think you can bring a plus one to bring backstage? You know... privileges."

She scoffed at his shamelessness before answering, "You wish. Even if I can, you are the last person in the list."

"Noona!!!"

Two weeks after Irene's world tour, she is now on her way to the fashion show rehearsals. The management has already sent her the script and the stage layout a week before so she already knows what she would do, still, she's kind of nervous because she'll be meeting all of the models today and she's not sure how she will act around them. 

Once reaching the location, they immediately went inside but not before a few shots from paparazzis who were waiting outside the venue.

"Irene! Hi!" Arianne, the designer and the owner of Aria's Angels who she met last week at the contract signing approached her. 

"Hey, Arianne. Nice seeing you again, you're supervising?" she said after breaking their hug. 

"I always supervise. I just can't not do it." The girl replied laughing. "Anyways, let's go back stage, I'll introduce you to the girls." 

"I'm nervous."

"Don't be. They don't bite."

When they arrived back stage, Arianne started introducing her to the girls. Some she doesn't know but some she does because she has seen them already from streaming the fashion show every year. Some models are also already well-known so she's familiar.

"This beautiful lady here is Sooyoung and.... where's Seulgi?" Arianne looked around searching for the girl. 

Irene got nervous by the mention of the name because if she's just being honest, she has a massive crush for the said girl. She's been silently admiring the girl since she saw her in a fashion event they were both present at two years ago. Sadly, they were just introduced in passing because there were a lot of other friends she had to say hi to. Irene doesn't even know if the girl remembers that short interaction. 

"She's probably at the dressing room eating again. Ugh, how does that girl eat all those food without getting fat?," Sooyoung, another known model she's familiar with said. 

"She got lucky." Arianne said laughing. "Oh, there she is." She pointed behind Irene making the latter even more nervous than she was, if that's even possible.

"You were eating again, weren't you?" Sooyoung asked as Irene heard footsteps coming nearer. She's still not turning around because she feels like her heart will explode if she sees the girl and she doesn't want to be that obvious about her crush. 

Seulgi just laughed, coming nearer and nearer until she's beside Irene. 

"So Irene, this is Seulgi, one of the best models out there." Arianne said putting her arm around Irene's shoulder to make her face Seulgi. "Hi... Seulgi-ssi."

"And Seulgi, this is Irene, the best singer-songwriter in the world." Irene turned red with the description so she jokingly hit Arianne's arm. "Your description is too much."

"Hi! You can just call me Seulgi, it's fine. And I know you of course, I'm a fan!" Seulgi said excitedly reaching for her hand. 

Oh my. She is so pretty, she has become so much prettier since the last time she saw the girl. And her eyes! Her eyes completely went missing smiling like that to Irene. And her hands are so soft Irene almost flinched because hers were already a little rough from playing the guitar since she was young. 

"Well... you can just call me Irene. I'm a fan too." she muttered shyly, shaking the girl's hand. 

"Noooo, how are you a fan? I'm literally no one and you are Irene!" 

"Believe me, my magazines at home will prove it." 

"Okay, stop flirting already, guys." Sooyoung butted in which made the girls blush. "So what songs are you gonna sing? I'm excited!" 

"Oh, they're from my latest album. I'm also really excited but I am really nervous that I'll be sharing the stage with beautiful models." 

"Don't worry, Irene unnie. You are beautiful yourself, you even fit the runway if you just wanted to." Sooyoung told her nicely which boosted Irene's confidence. 

"Thank you, Sooyoung."

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Hi! Let me know what you think at about this chapter!