Idols

Chapter 6

How life surprises us, and suddenly all paths clear for something to happen. Less than two days ago, my life was chaos, and everything seemed dark. Now everything fit, everything was in its place. I was afraid to think that everything was too beautiful and good, that something ugly had to come. I didn’t allow myself that thought and decided to live that relationship to the fullest. I would give everything I had, and if it didn’t work out, because sometimes relationships don’t work even with love, as love alone isn’t enough, I would give everything and my friends, my family and Seba would be there for me.

With that conviction, I put on makeup, did my hair, and put on the dress that I had bought especially for Jin's wedding.

Unlike Chile, in Korean wedding, no matter how grand and elegant they are, women don’t dress for partying. I chose a very elegant but simple dark green dress that reached knees. I didn’t have a pronounced neckline, as that’s considered tacky in Korea. However, it accentuated my figure, my tan skin, my hair, and my eyes that stood out with makeup. I looked and felt pretty, attractive. Joonie picked me up, and when he saw me, he simply opened his mouth in approval. He looked perfect in his suit. We made a handsome couple.

When we arrived at the event venue, we entered through a side entrance rather than the main one, which was crowded with journalists and fans of the groom and the band.

Joonie and I had an agreement to keep my exposure to the public eye to a minimum. I did not want to be hounded by any paparazzi, especially by uncontrolled fanatics.

I’ve always been low-key, and didn’t want fame or excessive exposure, especially for being someone's girlfriend. I wanted to continue living in freely for as long as possible.

When we entered the hall, we didn’t walk in hand in hand. We just greeted Jin's family and the groom.

Jin looked beautiful and radiant, I was very happy for her, and I was dying to tell her everything I had lived the last days.

Korean weddings are very short, lasting about two hours, including the ceremony, cocktail, and meal. There is no garter toss, dancing, or any of the customs typical in Chile and Latin America.

After the wedding, we went to my Adonis’s apartment. I told him I had decided that I would accept the position offered by the company and stay in Korea indefinitely. I said I would also talk to the landlord of my apartment to check if it was still available and hadn’t been offered to someone else.

He was very happy with the news of me staying in Korea. I also mentioned that I had to go to Chile, as I was supposedly finalizing some matters here before retuning. We had also planned a summer vacation with my family in mid-January. We were going to San Pedro de Atacama and to Easter Island. He also said that in mid-February, the band would start a world tour, which would mean being on the road for five months away from Korea. We had just started our more formal relationship, and we would already be separated for over five months. He saw my conflict and proposed something: Would you like to come with me on the tour? I’d love to, I said, but I can’t be away from Korea for that long. I could work remotely for a while, but not for five months.

Would you be willing to accompany me, at least in some countries if not all? - I didn't even have to think about it, the yes came out of my mouth naturally.

Joonie told me that Jin would be on the tour with Bo Hin, so those months I wouldn't be so alone. I was happy to be able to be with my friend, who by then felt like a sister to me.

I decided to talk to my company and set my conditions before accepting the offer. I would work hard while in Korea and try to align the tours travels with countries where my company had offices. This wouldn’t be difficult since it’s a multinational with offices almost everywhere. And for the rest of the time, I would take vacations. This was the moment to work on my happiness and give it my all.

I told him I was willing, but I also wanted to propose something. I wanted him to accompany me to Chile to meet my family and join me on the vacation. He said he’d love to, but he needed to check with the band members and the production team. They were starting intense rehearsals for the tour in mid-January. He asked for a day or two to arrange and negotiate, and he’d let me know.

On the same day, I talked to the landlord of the apartment, and fortunately, the deal hadn’t been finalized with anyone else yet. So, the apartment would remain mine for another year. I called my family to tell them I was staying in Korea, and they said they knew that would happen. They knew the company wouldn’t let me go so easily and that they would offer something to retain me. I shared the updates about my love adventure and told them to get ready because I would likely be coming with him to Chile for the vacation. Everyone was thrilled with the news and eagerly awaited my confirmation.

The next day I went to the company to present my conditions, and they agreed to everything.

As I was leaving the office, Joonie called me and said he was going on vacation with me. The days leading up to our trip would be very busy for him, as he wanted to rehearse double time for the tour. But he would be all mine for fifteen days.

He did warn me that he’d be going to Chile with his manager and a bodyguard. He couldn’t travel alone, and that was the condition for letting him travel with me. I often forgot how famous he was and how much he had to protect himself.

That week before the trip to Chile, was crazy, I had many coordination meetings at the company, organizing teams, strategies, budgets, etc. to be able to go on vacation with peace of mind. I barely saw my Adonis during those days. We exchanged many messages but didn’t have much time to meet.

On the day of the trip, they came for me to my apartment, and we went straight to the airport. We were directed through a VIP entrance designated for celebrities, so the process was swift, and there were no fans lurking around. The flights were calm but exhausting, and we finally we arrived in Chile, where it was sweltering hot. It was a huge contract for us, coming from the cold. One of my brothers sent a chauffeur with a SUV to pick us up to take us to my parents' house. They insisted we stay at their place, as there were plenty of available rooms. All four of their children had moved out, but they haven’t wanted to move to a smaller place due to the memories and moments shared in that house. Moreover, their house was in a private condominium on the foothills of the mountain, so reaching there was a challenge. If we stayed in a hotel, information could easily leak out that he was in Chile, and that wouldn’t be good for our intention to go unnoticed.

When we arrived at the house, my parents, siblings, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, nephews and my friends were waiting for us. We had a welcome fit for royalty, well, he was a celebrity after all.

My niece was beyond excited and monopolized his attention, bombarding him with questions and asking him to sing for them. My Adonis felt a bit overwhelmed but very comfortable with my family. He told me seemed like an Italian family; we spoke so loudly and all at once, giving the impression that we were arguing. I laughed a lot at his observation, but he was right. His manager and bodyguard also received the hospitality of my family. They were shown to their rooms to freshen up, take a shower, a nap, or do whatever they wanted before dinner.

Joonie did the same and went off with them. I wasn’t allowed to do the same; especially my friends interrogated me as if I were a suspect in a crime and you know how we women are; we want the story with all the details.

We spent most of the afternoon like that, handing out gifts, souvenirs and items that had been requested. At dinner time, one of my brothers-in-law grilled meats, something Koreans love, and they arranged for Korean food so they would feel at home. We ate, conversed in English, and had soju, Chilean wine, and beer.

The next day was a day of rest and pool time, preparing for our vacation. The following morning, we left for San Pedro de Atacama for four days. We went on many tours, and they were amazed by the beauty of northern Chile. Then we returned to Santiago to catch a flight to Rapanui. We spent five days on Easter Island, resting and enjoying the beach to recharge before the band’s exhausting tour.

The days flew by, and I didn't realize when we were saying goodbye to my family and promising to probably return for Christmas and New Year's. Farewell for now, family. I love you with all my heart.