A/N: Hi lovelies~! For those of you who are new to my writing, “idol version” refers to a scenario in which you are a member of the kpop group Elemint. You are still in a relationship with your bias, but he doesn’t show up in every scenario of this kind. I should have Part II up tomorrow!! 

It had been a long time since you’d last been on the stage, and everything needed to be perfect. Between filming, photo shoots, practices and sitting still for your stylist, you had barely a second to think about anything else. This morning, you and your group members were slow getting out of bed after a long night of practicing. 

“Come on ladies! It’s time to go! We have filming in an hour,” your manager Dongshin nagged, pounding his fist on the bedroom door. 

“Noooo...” Dae, the maknae of your group, grumbled from the bunk bed above yours. “Don’t want to.” It was a surprise your manager’s knocks even woke her. It usually took yelling and shaking to wake her up. 

You rolled reluctantly out of your bed, stuffing your feet in house slippers and shuffling toward the bathroom. Elemint’s leader Jiyeon was brushing her teeth, already dressed for the walk outside. You yawned, rubbing your eyes. 

“Wake up, sleepy-head,” she said through a mouth full of toothpaste. “It’s the final day of filming. Tonight you can take a nap, I promise!” She spit in the sink, giving you another friendly smile before walking back towards the bedroom. 

In the mirror, your reflection stared back with tired eyes. Dark circles hung beneath them. Thankfully, your stylist was adept at covering them up, and would be able to make your hair and makeup as perfect as necessary for the last day of creating your music video. You pulled your hair into a ponytail for the trip to the filming site, and brushed your teeth hastily. As you finished in the bathroom, a blanketed mass shuffled in behind you. 

“Dae?” you asked. The blanket shifted, a small, sleepy face poking out from beneath the covers. 

“I hate mornings,” she grumbled. You laughed, leaving your maknae to brush her teeth in grumpy peace. 

In the kitchen, Jiyeon and your other group members Tina, and Miyoung were already eating breakfast. You sat down to join them, pouring yourself a cup of coffee at the tiny table you shared. 

“Ready for another day?” Tina asked, lifting her mug of tea to take a drink. 

“I guess so,” you agreed. “I’m glad we’re almost done.” You enjoyed filming, but you were most excited for the video release. Getting to experience the excitement of your fans, your Peppermints, was the best part of the entire idol lifestyle. Pleasing them with a good release was one of the greatest feelings in the world. 

Dongshin walked into the kitchen, dragging a reluctant but otherwise ready Dae into the room.

“Ready?” he asked, not really expecting an answer. You couldn’t blame him for his attitude in the morning. Trying to convince the five of you to get out of bed was more work than he was paid to do. You and your group members followed him out of the apartment and to the elevator. 

From the lobby, you could see the bright sun of the day outside. Filming would go perfectly in this weather. As you followed your leader out to the car, you pulled a cloth mask over your mouth and a hood over your head. For Miyoung, this step was especially important, because her transformation to blonde hair was still unknown to fans. 

A couple of Peppermints were waiting outside the apartment complex, and waved and cheered when the five of you walked outside. You all gave them a friendly wave as you were ushered into the car. There wasn’t much time to interact with them today, but you could tell they really appreciated the gesture. 

As you buckled yourselves into your seats, you turned to give an excited grin to Miyoung sitting next to you. You were tired, overworked, and ready for a nap, but that couldn’t stifle your love for what you do. You were ready to perform.