The Incheon Bridge, heading toward the airport.
Maybe it was because it had been so long since I'd left the country.
"Hello? Mom? Yeah, I'm on my way to the airport right now~"
Today, even I thought my tone sounded a bit adorable, buoyed by a flutter of excitement.
Like a beloved daughter you could put in your eye without feeling pain.
"Yeah, yeah!"
That had absolutely nothing to do with Mom's threats.
"Huh? The ring? Haha, Mother, it's not some cheap knockoff. No, well, it was ten thousand won, but you can't just throw it away—"
It was a completely separate matter.
"Souvenirs? Of course I was planning to buy some~ What do you take me for. Yeah, yeah, cookies and chocolate and macarons. Ah, detox tea... truffle salt... No, no~ I'm not trailing off, I'm just so happy thinking about buying you more gifts."
'Geez, what era does she think this is? You can order all that with one click online. And she wants me to buy it in person.'
"Parrot sugar? Is that a thing? Aha! I'm sure it'll come up if I search. Your daughter is part of the new generation—how did I not know that~ Haha. No, I don't mean Mom is old. Just that I'm a bit young~"
'Argh!!!'
"Yeah, yeah, what else? Baguettes? No, why would I buy you a Paris Baguette? No, Mother, it's not that I don't want to. Bread goes stale, you know... Wait, you want me to buy stock in Paris Baguette?"
After the call ended—a barrage of threatening demands—the inside the car, where there were only the two of us, the daily support staff member from the company was suppressing giggles.
"You and your mother seem close."
"I suppose we are..."
I finally set my expression and stared into the distance at the Incheon Bridge.
"Hoo..."
If it had been Manager Yeongho, I wouldn't have felt embarrassed at least.
Unfortunately, Manager Yeongho—who was accompanying me all the way to Paris—had gone ahead to the airport early with my luggage to handle check-in procedures in advance.
So that I could just take some photos at the entrance, go through passport control, and head straight to the lounge.
It was for security reasons.
Before long, the car came to a stop.
"We've arrived. Have a good trip to Paris!"
"Yes, thank you for driving me so late."
I said my goodbyes and got out, where Manager Yeongho, who had been waiting at the airport, and the security team who would assist me until departure were standing by.
And despite the late hour, the flashes popping off from every direction, as expected.
"Dohee-ssi! Dohee-ya~"
Click! Click!
I smiled brightly, thinking of Doa instead of Mom.
* * *
"So this is the welcome drink. Ah, thank you."
Manager Yeongho, looking around the inside of the plane with curiosity.
"Wow... These seats are insane."
Though our seats were a little apart, the manager whispered from beside me.
"Thanks to Dohee, I'm riding first class too. This is insane."
The group accompanying me to Paris this time totaled six, including me.
New security team members and an interpreter would join us locally.
Manager Yeongho, the staff unni who would film videos, and three hair, makeup, and costume team members were essential.
That didn't mean everyone was riding first class.
The brand had sent only two first-class tickets, including one for a companion.
It was simply that Manager Yeongho had taken the seat next to me based on escort priority, regardless of rank.
"But have you ridden first class before, Dohee? You're pretty calm about it."
"I have, actually."
"Oh really? When? During Saven?"
"Yes. LE organizes K-Concert, right? One of the sponsors was an airline, so they sent most idols in first or business class."
"Ah~ K-Concert."
Though I'm not on good terms with LE these days, so I don't know if I'll get invited to K-Concert.
Still, I found first class fascinating too, so I was calmly looking around.
Of course, there wasn't much different about first class.
Just slightly better service, that's all.
Ultimately, on a long flight, I was just reading a book or looking at my phone as usual.
Enjoying the time in moderation, I started binge-reading articles in my dimmed seat.
Especially the entertainment section, hot with news of unfair contracts.
[Mystic Jinni Exposes Unfair Contract]
[Jinni's Exclusive Contract Nullification Lawsuit]
[Another Slave Contract Controversy, Teen Exploitation Continues]
Maybe because she was someone I'd exchanged greetings with in passing, it didn't entirely feel like someone else's problem.
Still, sleep was creeping in, so I was about to turn off my phone.
The brightly shining phone screen.
[Sera unni: (Photo) Dohee-ya!]
It was a sudden text from Sera unni.
"Hm..."
Once Sera unni started chatting, I had to keep up with it for a long time... Honestly, I felt bad, but it was a bit of a hassle.
Especially since I was about to sleep.
If I slept less, I might even get skin troubles.
'Of course, my skin is practically white jade, so I barely break out. Yep.'
Still, since I was invited to stand in front of cameras, I should take every precaution and just sleep—
[Sera unni: Looks like you arrive around 7 AM Paris time?]
'Huh, how did she know?'
Since it didn't seem like idle chatter, I opened the chat window.
[Sera unni: Want to get lunch in Paris tomorrow?]
[Sera unni: Anyway, the first day is either shooting some pictorials or just free time... right? (rubbing cat sticker)]
It definitely wasn't idle chatter.
It was dripping with purpose.
[Sera unni: Oh! I saw!]
The first photo unni sent was this.
[Debonair Dohee 'Lovely Departure Fashion' First Fashion Week]
A press photo.
Me, in a white dress, smiling radiantly and waving languidly despite the late hour.
She must have calculated the arrival time based on the departure time.
[Sera unni: Let's hang out together, okay? (expectant cat sticker)]
Wow...
* * *
8 AM Paris time was 3 PM Korea time.
In other words, the time when Koreans were in full swing of activity.
Among them were Dohee's fans waiting to hear news about her first Fashion Week.
Bae Hayoung was doing exactly that right now.
Refreshing her timeline in case any news about Dohee's first Fashion Week came in, while salary-loafing at work since she had nothing to do.
"Ah, I want to use my annual leave. I miss Dosongi."
What she was hoping for were natural sightings from overseas fans or tourists.
After all, other famous fansite masters who chased after Paris Fashion Week never followed private schedules unless it was an official one.
'I heard Move-nim went to Paris for travel and to see Dosongsong.'
But sure enough, Dohee's Paris sightings started coming up one after another.
"Oh?"
The first video was, as expected, an airport arrival scene.
[DOHEEEEEEEEE in Paris!! (Video)]
A rather funny video of Dohee cheerfully approaching the throng of fans holding out albums and hand fans, gesturing for them all to come in.
"No, but come on, come on, what's with this, haha"
"Full Rahi energy today as always"
└Occasionally a cheerful girl like a princess
Dohee signed for about ten people like that before being urged and pulled away by her manager and staff.
And she was dressed so prettily and brightly, at that.
"No matter who looks, it's totally Rahi."
The second sighting was also an official schedule.
[DOHEE FOR CHANEL PARIS]
#CHANELxDOHEE
#CHANELPARIS
#도희 #이도희
#LEEDOHEE
Dohee, visiting a brand shop right after leaving the airport, receiving various introductions from staff. Likewise, when she left the shop, she repeated the same gesture she'd shown that morning.
Meaning she signed for many fans one by one before being pulled away.
"That damn come on, come on, hahaha"
"How many times is she doing come on, come on today, haha"
└Lee Dohee's trait) Repeats a catchphrase when obsessed with it
└Our elementary schooler is like this, haha. It's a kid thing
"Ah, what am I going to do with this cutie."
Around this time, Bae Hayoung was on her way home from work at six. And the day's sightings didn't reach their peak until three hours later, around 9 PM Korea time.
[DOHEE AND SERA IS HERE!!!]
"What, she met up with Sera?"
Right as sighting reports of her with Sera surfaced.
[I MISS SAVEN SO MUCH... TT]
[THIS LEGENDARY DUO IN KPOP]
Perhaps because the fandoms of Ailee and Debonair overlapped, overseas fans' sightings kept coming up rapidly.
Truthfully, the first photos and videos only showed side and back profiles, making them a bit hard to recognize.
But Bae Hayoung was already certain it was the two of them.
"I thought Sera was leaving today after yesterday's fashion show, but I guess she's leaving tomorrow?"
"Yeah, she said on Bubble this morning that she got a day off."
"Ah, so when she said to look forward to photos of her hanging out today, it was because she was meeting Dohee, haha."
Setting aside the circumstances pointing to it, it was because their poses and atmosphere were exactly the same as during Saven.
Dolahyee @Dol_Ahyee
"What are these two doing? Why are they on a date in Paris? Are they Romeo and Juliet?"
Of course, Dohee's clothes had changed.
She must have stopped by her accommodations; she was in a casual denim-on-denim look with a cropped denim jacket, white tee, and denim skirt.
She was even wearing sunglasses.
Dolahyee @Dol_Ahyee
"Did she dress up in a cool-beauty girlfriend look for a date? Is she wearing sunglasses for a secret Paris date?"
But the girl, sitting cross-legged with both arms stretched out wide as if the outdoor chair were a throne.
A girl exuding cool-girl vibes—no matter who looked, it was the same Dohee who'd been going "come on, come on" all morning.
Dolahyee @Dol_Ahyee
"What's with the cool vibes in this pose, it's insane, totally maknae Dohee."
The woman with an ultra-beauty aura, insistently feeding her dessert in a lovey-dovey manner while stuck right by that Dohee's side, could only be Sera based on experience.
Dolahyee @Dol_Ahyee
"What do you mean 'rapper girlfriend'!!"
* * *
"Dohee-ya!"
"Uh?"
"Try this. Aah~"
"'Aah?' As if. Just put it on my plate. I hate getting it on my lips."
A date alone with Sera unni for the first time in a while since Saven wasn't bad. Strictly speaking, it was four people including the managers.
"Hing..."
"Sigh... Ah!"
"Hehe, aah~"
But that didn't mean I could only show my good side.
"So cute..."
How should I put it... Once Sera unni likes something, there's no end to it.
It would get hard to handle later. Better to just indulge her.
"Ha... I was originally planning to stop by the Louvre first."
Of course, I meant it.
If I had free time, going to the museum was my top priority.
Sera unni had been whining to hang out since Korea, so I conceded and made time while I could.
I wouldn't have made time even for my real mom.
Doa might be a different story.
"You need to visit museums and historic sites for it to truly be tourism, really..."
Sera unni's mouth drooping at the corners.
"Hing..."
"See, I told you I was meeting you for nothing... Look, Manager Yeongho couldn't go to the museum either, see how much he's—! His expression is totally...!"
"Wow... So this is why Paris is for desserts? This is the croissant of my life, seriously. I guess travel really is just a food tour, huh..."
He was humming to himself.
"Dohee-ya, I heard the course dinners in Paris are absolutely amazing, what do you think!"
Of all times, he just had to read the room.
Thanks to that, the corners of Sera unni's mouth were slowly twitching upward. Looked like we'd be having dinner too.