"Holli Mok, member of Peace Blossom is real to them," Val shrugged. "I told you that we can shape how people are seen. Right now though, I'd imagine we both have things to concern ourselves with. We do have a few days before this assignment is over...and there is much to do," she reminded Holli.
The other woman nodded. Val got up, smiled what she hoped was a comforting smile at Holli, and headed back to her hotel room. No one followed her, or particularly concerned themselves with her...which was fine with Val. Once inside, she put down her things and sank onto the bed. It was soft...but what she was feeling was freedom.
It wasn't particularly fair. She'd wanted to be a singer, gotten everything she thought she wanted...but it had become a prison. She wasn't allowed to make any real decisions for herself...and any time she tried, she was just reminded of her obligations and her contracts. She had money...but couldn't enjoy it.
It was then she'd concluded it had become a curse. That she needed to do anything she could to escape it. But, she could only do that if she encountered someone who agreed to take her place. That had seemed easy enough...she had a lot of fans. But...the reality was not so easy. For one, she needed to spend enough time with someone to get them to declare they were part of the band...and no fan was allowed that kind of time with them and she wasn't sure that was the sort of person she wanted.
Then Holly Glover showed up. Former model...though not for very long...had switched into a career as a presenter. Both of them had worked hard to achieve their dreams, only Holly got to do so on her own terms, not on other people's. If Holly agreed...it would mean she'd be leaving Korea...but it would mean she'd be as far away from her old life as she could get. Part of her had wished her parents had never let her audition. They hadn't taken the idea seriously until she'd been offered an opportunity and then...suffice it to say they weren't currently on good terms.
Val exhaled. All of that was not her problem anymore, she shouldn't let herself be upset about it. She was forging a new path. She got up and took a look at herself in the mirror...blond hair in a professional style, serious attire, but yet looking rather impressive if she didn't say so herself. She grabbed her phone and saw half a dozen messages from people in the UK. The camera during her interviews were set up by the band's people, they'd insisted on that. Val hadn't realized that before...but she hadn't given much thought to those details. She knew that Peace Blossom's managers wouldn't allow aggressive journalists to interview band members...people who would ask unapproved questions. It was always someone who would agree to their conditions in order to get access.
But they used their own people to produce the segments to minimize contact...all part of the prison she was in the process of escaping. That's why she was here alone. She was learning more about the agreement when That was why the editors didn't already have the interview footage. The band's team would send it, and as she was reminded by G-Bear, who saw her as someone he'd just met, they would have approval on the final cut.
Her producer seemed to be panicking because she hadn't given a status update in hours. She sent him a quick note saying she'd been working hard and there would be lots of good footage to choose from, but now she needed a break. She was sure she'd learn to deal with him later. She got back a thumbs up and, "You're a star." Maybe she didn't need to learn how to deal with him. He was no G-Bear.
Message from her new sister, asking how Korea was. She wrote back that it was great, but she was working hard and would talk to her soon.
Message from someone she couldn't identify asking her when she'd be back. She sent back that it would be a few days.
"Easy," she declared. She paused as she heard herself. It wasn't quite the polished style she'd been using when interviewing...but more casual. Did presenters actually talk like presenters when they were with their friends? She grinned at herself in the mirror. "I'm Valerie Marie Glover...nice to meet you."
