Page 8 of Wish Upon a K-Star

• He was born in Paris but moved to England with his family when he was only three (Westminster, London) and then to Shanghai when he was seven. They finally moved to South Korea when he entered middle school (equivalent of seventh grade).

• Is friends with AX1S’s Hyejun, SF9’s Chani, Stray Kids’ Han, Stray Kids’ Felix, The Boyz’s Sunwoo, Itzy’s Yeji, (G)I-DLE’s Shuhua.

• Speaks English, French, Korean, and Mandarin.

• Spends most of his free time in his bed in the dorm.

• Can sleep anywhere.

• The commercial he’d most like to be cast for is for fried chicken.

• Role model is Block B’s Zico.

It’s strange being back at a concert venue.

I haven’t been to one since Helloglow disbanded.

Before then, I practically lived on stages. It was a whirlwind of broadcast stations, college festivals, music shows, and arenas. I’d experienced almost everything you could as an idol in just one short year.

I know it’s something I should be grateful for.

No, Iamgrateful for it. But that gratitude is overlaid with a vibrating anxiety every time I think of that part of my life.

My hair is yanked and I hide a flinch as my roots protest.

“Sorry,” the assistant stylist mutters. He’s young, barely older than me. He’s new and clearly nervous. Which wouldn’t usually bother me, except he keeps sneaking timid peeks at my face in the mirror. I can recognize those curious looks by now. He’s probably waiting to see if I yell at the hair and makeup team, or throw a tantrum about the temperature of my coffee. Because of course someone with my reputation would be a total nightmare to work with.

As if to prove him wrong, I don’t even move as he keeps pulling at my hair.

But when he tries to pin some of it back, he jabs me in the ear.

This time I can’t hide the wince of pain and I notice his slight frown. Like he’s already telling himself that’s proof that I’m difficult. Darn it.

“Jeongho, stop before you take out her eye.” David Reyes, the head stylist, comes over, curler in hand. He’s tall with tan skin and a full, well-groomed beard. He moved to Korea over a decade ago.

His more skilled hands take over and I relax a bit. Other than Hongjoo, he’s known me the longest, ever since he was assigned to do my hair for the first evaluation performance onCiPro. When I first debuted, he’d teach me Spanish and I’d help him with his Korean, though sometimes I think he speaks better Korean than I do.

He’s my favorite stylist, even if he’s always yelling at me when I neglect my hair.

As if on cue, David frowns. “Hyeri, honey. Are you using the serum I gave you?”

“I keep forgetting,” I admit, and he gives me a disappointed look in the mirror. “I’ll use it, I swear.”

“Hmm.” He shakes some of his own serum into his palms and warms it before running it through my hair.

I pull out my phone, knowing styling can sometimes take a while. And when I open SNS, a post about the article is the first on my feed. I shouldn’t, but I expand the comments.

Bullies should go to jail.

Why protect the identity of a bully? We KNOW Celebrity A is Shin Hyeri!

Can’t wait for her agency to deny all allegations and continue to protect a bully!

Shin Hyeri is shameless for continuing to promote when she used to be such a bully.

Shin Hyeri = yeombyeong idol!

Shin Hyeri should be sent to hell to burn for her sins against an angel like Kim Ana!

---