“Do-hee-chan, but can’t we just match our looks for tomorrow?”
While the hinge was clattering around, Chiyo Unni irresponsibly asked what to wear for tomorrow.
“Make it a dress code!”
Of course, a somewhat grumpy response slipped out.
“Just wear something cute.”
“Huh?”
“Unni, just wear something cute, will you?”
Ugh… what am I going to do about that door?
“Cute?”
It seems I can’t fix the door right now…
“Ah!”
I guess I’ll have to buy a new hinge and tighten the bolts after I get back from my schedule.
“Okay! Cute!”
But why is that Unni suddenly excitedly running back to her room?
“Is she that thrilled about charting…?”
Yeah, as long as my Unni is happy, that’s what matters.
Suddenly, I’m feeling pretty good.
Anyway, what’s important right now is packing.
“What have I not packed? I got my sunglasses.”
My suitcase was already stuffed to the brim.
It was mostly filled with brand-new things.
Skincare tools, cosmetics, all kinds of clothes.
Since it feels like I’ll be going abroad a lot in the future, it makes sense to buy everything new and create a suitcase just for international travel.
“Packing and unpacking every time is such a hassle.”
Having done a lot of overseas schedules and world tours during my Seven days, I had naturally picked up some tips.
“Oh, back in the day, Sara Unni used to pack everything for me, which was so convenient.”
Speaking of which, didn’t Sara Unni send me a message earlier? I think it was a congratulatory note about charting on Billboard… and a declaration that she would give a kiss too…
“Guess she saw our self-content.”
Anyway, since I have to take care of everything for this U.S. schedule, I should stuff everything in first.
Even though I might be able to come back to Korea once during this U.S. schedule, I probably have to spend a few weeks in North America since I’m out.
“Still, I think I’ve packed just about everything.”
Packaging probably took me over three hours.
Now, all I have to do is decide what to wear tomorrow.
“There will definitely be a lot of reporters this time… Should I be a little more mindful?”
Since it’s my first trip to the U.S. after entering the Billboard chart, it’s bound to make a splash.
─What’s this, were you holding your chest again? Does that mean your chest isn’t tight?
Suddenly, thinking of Chiyo Unni’s words, I wondered if I should make my chest feel a bit more comfortable today, not constricted.
“Why not just this once? It’s not like I’m on stage.”
I tried to close the clattering door that kept falling apart while worrying if someone would peek in. I casually tossed my minimizer aside for a moment and stood in front of the full-length mirror.
“Seriously…”
Once again, I couldn’t believe it.
How do I have such a beautifully defined shoulder line?
My arms have just the right muscles to look pretty.
But is everything else pretty-shaped too?
“Is it because I’m wearing a bra at home?”
“Is it because I’m wearing this?”
Well, it might be because my ligaments are well-maintained.
Anyway, as I looked around, I suddenly felt like I understood Olivia Hays’ feelings.
Of course, it’s not like it was that dramatic or anything like what she showed in Romeo and Juliet…
“But if I wear a corset and boost my volume, I might get a similar vibe…?”
When I casually lifted it a bit, it felt like there might be a slight difference in weight.
“Is it a bit heavier…?”
Nah, it can’t be.
If I check my weight, it’s the same.
It’s definitely just in my head.
Anyway, this won’t do.
I can’t let anyone else see this.
I’m keeping this all to myself.
So I just went back to wearing my trusty minimizer and pulled out a black t-shirt.
“Of course, I really like this chic black look.”
The slightly loose black tee gives the illusion of a smaller upper body, making my lower body look better balanced.
And if I throw on a leather jacket over it?
“This is it, this is my Do-hee signature.”
After a long time, some ripped jeans would be nice.
And if I style my bangs a bit?
“Wow, honestly, am I a bit good-looking?”
I’m pretty cute, but I feel like I’ve become quite handsome lately.
Honestly, I’m starting to feel the urge for a bob cut again.
*
“What is this?”
The next day, while heading out to the airport, I stared at my teammates’ outfits.
“What’s up, Do-hee?”
Everyone matched my signature style.
Dressed entirely in Do-hee black.
“Why are you all copying me?”
“What?”
“Huh?”
I was sure I was the only one who preferred black among the members.
“Looks like you all caught the Do-hee bug─.”
“Oh, you’ve gone crazy again this morning.”
It’s either true or it’s not.
Why the serious face?
“Too much! Too much!”
“Shut it.”
“Hey guys, stop bickering and let’s go. The manager is waiting downstairs~”
Na-eun Unni comfortably strolled out, as if I had just been joking around.
“But seriously, why is everyone in Do-hee black?”
“Do-hee black? Is black now your color?”
“Do-hee black refers to the shade of black preferred by Do-hee Lee. It’s written on the wiki.”
“I occasionally peek at your stuff, so stop with the nonsense. And you should match outfits with me… ah, never mind. Just hurry up and get out. I’m dead tired already in the morning.”
Kim Seo-yoon grumbled as she dashed out.
“But I never said to match outfits─.”
“Chiyo said so.”
Woo-ah Unni, wearing a cropped neck blouse, said while picking out shoes.
“Chiyo Unni said?”
“Yep, you.”
“Me?”
Suddenly, Chiyo Unni popped out from the corner of the room.
“Do-hee-chan, Do-hee-chan!”
And then, her style caught my eye instantly.
“Don’t you think I totally vibe with a cat look today!?”
She was flaunting a black mini dress with her hair styled high in a black ribbon, giving off a chic vibe.
“You did your hair yourself, Unni?”
“What? Chiyo, you look pretty good today!”
Definitely, today’s style matched Do-hee vibes quite well.
Of course, if we’re talking about being cool, I was definitely more stylish right now.
“Hehe, this is the perfect execution of the black cat look that Do-hee mentioned.”
But as Chiyo Unni explained, the tied ribbon with her dark hair looked like cat ears from the outside, which honestly looked pretty awesome.
I bet if I wore that, I’d look super cute.
Especially since my already gorgeous face would be even more stunning.
If there’s a concert, I’d definitely try styling my hair like that.
“Wait, when did I say I’d wear a black cat look?”
“Huh? You totally said that.”
“I did?”
“You told me to wear it as a Kkamnyang.”
What the heck is Kkamnyang?
Alright, let’s just think back to the conversation we had yesterday.
“Kkamnyang… Kkam… You don’t mean to wear Kkamnyang stuff, right?”
“Yup! You said it! Wear it as a Kkamnyang.”
“That just means to dress according to your own ability, right?”
“Huh? So you’re saying Dog-hee got annoyed with me!?”
But this person is really Japanese after all.
Sometimes they seriously can’t understand me.
Recently, I confused them with Kimchi too.
*
– Over here! Over here!
– Do-hee! Do-hee!
– Na-eun!
– Miss Woo-ah, you cut your hair!
After a massive photo time with a bunch of reporters, we were surrounded by the bodyguards as we stood with our passports tightly in hand.
“Unni, let me see your passport.”
“Okay-o.”
Definitely, she’s Japanese.
“Let me have a look too.”
I casually skimmed the surface and handed it over to Woo-ah Unni, who was making gestures, amazed by the Japanese passport.
“But don’t open it here.”
“Why?”
“Because people zoom in and take pictures of it.”
“Really?”
Yeah, it’s true.
Apparently, it’s mostly boy groups that get hit with this.
“Oh, of course, I’m meticulous, so I’ve never fallen for that.”
I subtly pointed to Seo-yoon Unni with my eyes.
“Wait, did Seo-yoon Unni get hit?”
Ah, the underage Kim Seo-yoon was even more immature back then.
“If it hadn’t been for Do-hee calmly blocking me with her hand…”
“Thanks, but I feel like you mention that every time we’re at the airport. It’s getting less thank-you and more annoying, you know?”
Anyway, after a short wait in the lounge, we hopped on the plane and recorded our own behind-the-scenes vlogs until takeoff.
“It’s been quite a while since I flew after going to fashion week. Every time we go long-distance, I just love that I can sleep so well. There’s also a lot of free time.”
“Wow, I’m really enjoying this free time. I can relax for over 14 hours.”
I felt a bit happy just thinking about the leisure time after a long while.
And somehow, I finally arrived in America.
“How should I put it? It feels like I’ve come back home? You know, I’m a New Yorker.”
“Oh, Seo-yoon, you should be taking care of the rookie New Yorkers here.”
“Ahaha~ Do-hee, my mistake?”
As I shared the long-standing nonsense that started with Seo-yoon and Seven, I finally began to feel the reality of being in a group with these unnis in America. It was a refreshing moment.
“But we’re in LA.”
Woo-ah was hitting us with facts.
“Na-eun, Na-eun…!”
In the meantime, Chiyo was pulling on Na-eun’s sleeve with a sulky expression.
“Huh? What’s wrong?”
“I mean, when I’m acting like I’m also Korean back in Korea, it feels like this?”
“Huh? Chiyo just seems Korean, though?”
“As expected. Honestly, I didn’t think I would be as awkward as those people.”
“Ah, right…”
Anyway, as a New Yorker, I got through immigration smoothly and got on the van heading to my destination, Warner Records.
Manager Young-ho said it was okay to rest for a bit, but I felt like I had relaxed somewhat during the long flight.
And thus, we arrived at the headquarters of Warner Records.
Since I made it all the way to America, I just needed to check and adjust the schedule that the gigantic record company had planned for us today.
“Everyone.”
However, the first person to greet us wasn’t the staff but Grant, the CEO.
“I know you must be tired from the long flight, but let’s hit the stage today. There’s a nice music festival nearby this evening.”
I hadn’t expected to jump straight into a schedule like this.
“Okay.”
Of course, I accepted.
“Do-hee, the stylists must be at the accommodation right now.”
“Forget about makeup; we have no outfits at all…”
Coachella, Lollapalooza…
Standing at such huge music festivals would be for later.
This time, it didn’t matter where we performed.
“If we do this today, we won’t have to do the festival in New York in four days.”
“Crazy, really!? Oh wait, did I just get too excited? It’s New York, after all.”
“You’re fine; you’re not a New Yorker.”
“Shut up, you kimchi.”
In the first place, the New York festival schedule and the upcoming talk show appearance next week were only for promotional purposes as a K-Pop group with relevance.
‘Of course, we have to go to New York to film the music video.’
“But what will we wear?”
“We can just buy something from a shop nearby, or we can wear what we had on at the airport.”
Honestly, I’d still look pretty in anything.
And I wondered if Grant would be watching us too.
I should hurry and check the mic and sound setup.
I’ll just pretend to be a genius musician while adjusting the mic EQ settings.
Hehe.
