So next chapter! Thanks for the reviews and favs guys! Glad you're enjoying it!
"Jeremy!" The blond groaned as his hyung banged on the door. "Get up! It's time for breakfast."
"Not hungry!" He yelled back sleepily. The door clicked open and he was being dragged out of bed. "Hey!" The younger boy glanced at his window. "The sun's barely out!"
"We've got a photo shoot later, and I don't want you whining about being hungry."
"But I'm still sleepy." Jeremy gave him his best pouty face, but their band's leader took no pity on him, and continued to pull him down the hall and to the kitchen. The pouty face only seemed to work on management these days.
"I thought we'd out-grown this." Shin-woo said as he placed a full plate in front of Jeremy.
"Apparently not." Jeremy grumbled. "Tae-Kyung Hyung even resisted the puppy-dog face!"
"I'm immune to your cute now."
"Don't feel bad, he did the same thing to me." A grumpy Go Mi Nam said through a mouthful of egg. "Why is this shoot so early in the morning any way?"
"We're doing an out-door shoot," Shin-woo said. "They need the sunlight."
"The fans would be just as happy with photos from our phone." Jeremy grumbled.
"But your manager wouldn't be." Manager Ma threw in as he entered the kitchen. "Why are you two not dressed yet?" He asked the two younger members. "The van's already waiting outside. You've got fifteen minutes to eat and get dressed."
"Oh! I've got to feed Jolie!" Jeremy got out of his chair quickly.
"I'll feed her, you get dressed." Shin-Woo offered.
"No, she only eats if I feed her!"
"Jeremy!" Tae-Kung called, but the boy was already out the door. "You better not make us late!"
"You all look like you could use more sleep," Coordi-wang commented as she put concealer under Tae-Kyung's eyes. The four groggy band members were now seated around a table getting their make up done.
"Our schedules have been crazy lately. You should know."
"Yeah. Our whole team look like zombies," she agreed.
"It was a lot of work making Go Mi Nam popular, and now that he is, the fans want to see the band all together. This is only the beginning. We still have to go back to Japan and spend more time there." Manager Ma's voice came from under the towel he'd covered his face with.
"It feels like we've debuted all over again," Jeremy complained from his chair.
"We have." Shin Woo yawned.
"How did you guys survive?" Go Mi Nam asked forehead against the table.
"Coffee and energy drinks." Shin-woo answered.
"Pick your head up," Coordi-wand commanded. "You'll ruin your make up, and I'm not doing it again." Mi-Nam groaned.
"Come on." Tae-Kyung grabbed him by the back of his shirt and pulled him into a sitting position. Mi Nam flopped back in his chair.
"Wake me up when it's time to start," Mi-Nam said, eyes closed.
"Why are we here this early? The sun will be out all day." Jeremy whined.
"Because you have an interview this after noon, and a fan-meet this evening," Manager Ma answered.
"I changed my mind, I don't want to be in A. anymore. Find a new drummer."
"Be quiet. You two are giving me a head ache." Tae-Kyung called, throwing a hand towel at Jeremy's head.
"Hey, watch his hair!" Their stylist pointed her make up brush at the dark haired man and glared.
"So how's everyone doing?" President Ahn asked. The group grunted in response. "Come on, come on! This is good! The public's not getting bored of you any time soon!" He shook Tae-Kyung's shoulder. "Well I'll see you guys at the interview this afternoon. Just came to make sure things were getting started."
"I think I hate him," Shin-Woo said as they watched their manager go.
"Me too," Tae-Kyung agreed.
"I've got the jackets!" Emily tucked her red hair behind her ear as she stumbled to a stop in front of the make up table, two garment bags on each arm.
"Good!" Coordi-Wang unzipped one of the bags for inspection.
"I'm sorry it took so long, the wardrobe department messed up the time-"
"I know, I got your text. I think they're just about to start the shoot. Can you help them get into their jackets?" Her boss asked. Emily nodded. She awkwardly approached the sleeping Mi-Man ,who was closest to her.
"Mi-Nam, please get up." She said, barely shaking the boy's shoulder.
"That's not how you do it," Jeremy said. "Hey, time to get dressed!" He shouted as he slapped the boy's arm.
"Ouch!" Mi-Nam turned and glared at his blond band mate.
"Settle down and get dressed." Tae-Kyung smacked both boys on the back of the head.
"Gosh. Hyung's violent when He's tired," Jeremy said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Hair!" Coordi-wang hit him on the shoulder.
"And she's violent all the time," Jeremy stated as he held his shoulder. The stylist made a face and went back to fixing Shin-Woo's hair.
"Here." Emily stifled a laugh and held out Go Mi-Nam's jacket. He slipped his arms in the sleeves and let Emily straighten it out.
"You can go ahead and head out for some individual shots once you're dressed." A crew member informed the group.
"Okay, thank you." Manager Ma said, pulling the towel off of his face and standing up. "Alright, head out, Mi-Nam."
"I hope I can keep my eyes open." The boy complained as he rubbed his eyes.
"Don't mess up your make up!" Their stylist yelled after him. "How did I get stuck with you guys? I bet Big Bang's stylist doesn't have to put up with this much." She mumbled as she finished powdering Jeremy's face. "Done. Jeremy, put your Jacket on before the photographer's get impatient."
"Okay." The boy stood up, and Emily stepped around him. She focused on the jacket, and not the boy in it as she buttoned it up and made sure all the pins were straight. As usual, the boys were wearing matching white suits. The jackets were covered in a mixture of gold broaches that Coordi-wang had had specially made for their upcoming photo shoots and concerts.
"You're good to go." She said, stepping away once she was done.
"Thank you!" Jeremy flashed her a bright smile before heading out in the same direction that Go Mi-Nam had gone. It was dizzying to go from seeing pretty celebrities on her computer screen to actually touching them.
"Tae-Kyung, are you ready to put your jacket on?" She asked the band's leader timidly.
"Yes." The dark haired man stood up and allowed her to put on his jacket. Once Shin-Woo was done with his make up Emily Got him into his as well.
"Alright! Let's go Watch the shoot." Coordi-wang said once all the boys had gone.
"Okay!" It was Emily's first time at a professional photo shoot. She could hardly believe how fast everything had happened. She'd already been in Korea for a week..
Emily's heels kept sinking into the ground as she and her boss made their way to the shoot, each carrying a case of make up. Her boss didn't seem to be having any trouble, however.
Emily breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the shooting area, and they were able to set their supplies down on a garden bench.
She watched as the photographer directed the musician's poses, and as the boys came up with their own. Tae-Kyung was very serious in his poses, while Jeremy was completely the opposite, and Shin-Woo was a nice medium between the two. Go Mi Nam wasn't quite as hyper as Jeremy, but they played well off each other.
Emily couldn't help but be in awe of how at home they were posing in front of the cameras. The two youngest band members seemed to be having a blast, despite their earlier complaining.
"Mi-Nam and Shin-Woo's faces are shiny!" The director yelled.
"Okay." Coordi-Wang grabbed a compact and a brush and headed out in front of the cameras. "Emily!" She turned and called.
"Oh!" She snapped out of her daze and grabbed her own supplies. "Right, coming! Sorry!" She could feel her face get warm as embarrassment washed over her. She avoided looking into Shin-Woo's eyes as she dabbed at his forehead.
"It's your first shoot, right? You'll get the hang of it." He gave her a reassuring smile.
"Yeah, no worries." The blonde beside him smiled at her as well.
"Right. Thanks." She briefly returned their smiles before looking away again.
"Better do all of them." The director called.
"Okay!" Her boss yelled back.
"Jeremy's hair is going flat, can you fix it?" Her boss asked, shoving a comb in her hands.
"Yes." Emily accepted the comb and stepped over to the drummer. He hunched down to allow her to tease his hair, which unfortunately brought them eye to eye. Every time she got near him she could hear his teasing in her head.
"Okay, okay. Let's get going again!" Emily quickly made her way back to the bench.
She did her best not to look the band members in the eyes as she touched up their make up and swept their hair out of their faces in between shots.
Being both their stylist and their make up artist was a lot of work, and she had new admiration for her boss. She especially admired the way Coordi-wang could treat the boys as if they were just anyone, and not one of Korea's most popular idol bands.
"Now for the rest of these, let's not be so serious! Let's have some fun shots, okay?" The photographer called three hours later.
"Jeremy!" Tae-Kyung grunted as the boy climbed onto his back and locked his arms around his neck. The camera flashed rapidly, capturing every second of Tae-kyungs battle to get the younger boy off his back.
"Careful!" Shin-Woo laughed as Tae-Kyung managed to get one of Jeremy's legs free. Mi-Nam put both hands on Jeremy's back, holding him in place
"Hyung! Hyung, you're going to make me fall!"
"Then get off!"
"No!" Jeremy laughed while Shin-Woo attempted to keep the two from falling over and hurting themselves, or him and Go Mi Nam.
"Watch your outfits!" Coordi-wang called. "I don't have time to do any sewing for the rest of this year!"
The battle ended with Mi-Nam on the floor and Jeremy hanging upside down while Tae-kung held one of the drummer's legs around his waist, and Shin-Woo held the other by the ankle.
"Alright, that's enough for today!" Shin-Woo helped Mi-Nam up while Tae-kyung let the other boy down.
"Hyung, I'm hungry. Do we get a lunch break before the interview?" Jeremy asked, throwing one arm around Tae-Kyung.
"I told you to eat your breakfast. I don't know, ask Manager Ma."
"But I had to feed Jolie!" Jeremy defended himself.
"We're having a quick snack break before the interview. We'll have lunch before the fan meeting this afternoon." Manager Ma cut in. Jeremy sighed. Another full day.
Emily gathered the brushes and make up that they'd used during the shoot, trying not to take too long. Everyone else seemed to be moving at lightning speed, and she felt like a snail. The crew had already taken down and packed up half the equipment.
She closed her case and took off after her boss, trying desperately not to fall and break her neck. It never clicked in her mind that heels and grass didn't mix well.
The new schedule wasn't so drastically different from her old one in that her sleeping hours were the same. Her job didn't pay much, however. Though she didn't mind in the least. It was the opportunity of a lifetime, and though most of her friends and family didn't understand it, she knew that moving to Korea was a huge step in achieving the future she wanted for herself.
Sure there were bills to worry about, and her Korean wasn't perfect, but she was doing well so far. It helped to have her best friend around to help her adjust. It was like having a small piece of home with her. Min-Jee had lived in Korea for most of her life, and thus was a huge help.
Emily let out a yelp of surprise as her left heel sunk in to the ground. She'd been lost in her own thoughts and had stopped paying attention to her feet. She closed her eyes and put out a hand to catch herself, waiting to hit the ground, but she never did.
"Whoa." Emily opened her eyes and turned to see Tae-Kyung holding onto her shoulder.
"Thank you, I've got it." She bowed, cheeks burning. In her hast to prove herself capable of walking on her own, she tripped again. She felt a hand on her other wrist steady her.
"You really shouldn't wear heels in the grass." The blond boy beside her said. "You'll fall on your face." He finished earnestly.
"Thank you. I'll remember that." She bowed to both boys, face ablaze, and did her best to catch up with her boss. Emily made a mental note to pack a pair of back up shoes for all photo shoots.
Emily Pulled her bag onto her lap as she sat on the bus seat. Her feet were killing her, and her legs were aching. She'd put in two days worth of work in just one day. Stylists did a lot more than she'd originally thought.
Wherever A. went, so did she and her boss. Which meant they had to go to the early Photo shoot, The Press conference, and the fan meeting. Her ears were still ringing from all the screaming girls. After the band's activities were done for the day, she'd had to collect costumes and take inventory before going home as well.
Watching all the cameras going off, and seeing all the reporters hanging on their every word- Emily became aware of just how famous A. really were. It was hard to grasp their popularity while she was living in the USA. She also realized just how dangerous it was to be a celebrity, or to be around them. She'd almost gotten elbowed in the face by a reporter while entering the press conference. Getting to be so close to an idol group was rather interesting.
"Hello? I'm home!" Emily stepped out of her shoes and hung her bag by the door.
"Hey! Finally! I got us dinner." Her roommate called from the kitchen table.
"Have I ever told you that you're my favorite person?" Emily asked as she collapsed on to a kitchen chair.
"Long day?" Her friend asked, opening the pizza box and offering her a slice.
"Yes. I am never wearing heels again!"
"So how did you like your first shoot?" Min-Jee asked enthusiastically.
"Oh, it was a lot of fun." Emily smiled at her Friend. "It's… crazy to actually be here. I still can't believe it."
"I know! It's good to be home. It's even better to have you here with me." Her friend reached over and squeezed Emily's hand.
"I'm the one who's glad to have you here! I'd have gotten lost on the way from the airport and never been heard from again." The two girls laughed. Emily selected a large piece of pizza and took a bite.
"Want to go shopping tomorrow? I want to show you my favorite store. They've got really cute and inexpensive clothes." Min-Jee asked brightly.
"I can't, I'm working all day tomorrow. The boys have another full schedule."
"Auntie sure is keeping you busy."
"It's okay. I like it. I'm learning a lot."
"I suppose being around A. has nothing to do with it?" Her friend teased. Emily turned her face away, cheeks glowing red again.
"Those boys make me brain-dead! It's almost impossible to function around them." She admitted.
"I know what you mean! Remember when we went to visit Auntie when we got here? I ran into Tae-Kyung in the hall way, and almost had a heart attack! And he didn't even look at me. I can't imagine actually touching them."
"You make me sound like a pervert!" Emily laughed. "Well I've got to get to sleep. Early day tomorrow. Thanks for dinner!"
"But you only had one piece!" Her friend exclaimed.
"I'm too tired to eat anymore. I might fall asleep in the pizza if I don't go to sleep now."
"Alright. I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Night!"
"Night!" Emily stood and headed off to take a shower. Sure the hours were long, but Emily knew that one day she would make a name for herself as a stylist, and A. was going to help her get there. She just had to keep perusing her dream.