The girls were taken out of the venue by the back door to avoid their fans waiting outside to get their autographs, and even then, there were still a few waiting for them. The girls happily signed theirs for the people waiting, as there were only six of them. The car engine rumbled to life, pulling away from the back entrance of the venue. The security detail had done an excellent job managing the small throng of fans, guiding the girls through the back door and only allowing a handful of dedicated stragglers to get their autographs before ushering everyone into their awaiting car. Now, with the city lights blurring outside, a collective sigh of relief filled the cabin.
"비행기 타면 좋을 것 같아요. 잠 좀 자게요." (I will be glad when we get on the plane, that way I can get some sleep.) Sook-Joo said yawning widely, stretching her arms above her head as much as the car cabin allowed,
"또 코 골지만 않으면." (As long as you don’t snore again.) Hyun-Hee said turning towards Sook-Joo a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
"나 코 안 골아!" (I don't snore!) Sook-Joo replied with her eyes wide with mock indignation
"당연히 코 안 골지." (Of course you don’t.) Young-Mi said stifling a giggle.
"응, 맞아. 절대 안 골아." (Yeah, right. Never.) Mi-Ok added though her face was hidden by her phone as she typed a reply.
"너네들 진짜 너무해!" (You guys are so mean!) Sook-Joo said while pouting, and crossing her arms
"오래 안 걸릴 거야, 얘들아. 비행기 타면 푹 쉬어." (We won’t be long, girls. Get some good rest on the plane.) Ms. Kim said from the front passenger seat, turning slightly to meet their eyes with a gentle smile, breaking up the argument over Sook-Joo’s snoring before it started, In the back of her mind, Ms. Kim was just glad she had remembered to pack her earplugs. How a young girl capable of singing so lovely could produce such a sound when she was asleep, she would never know.
"그래도 방금 팬분들 만나서 좋았어요. 여섯 분밖에 없어서 사인도 편하게 해드리고." (Still, it was nice meeting those few fans just now. There were only six, so we could sign comfortably for them.) Hyun-Hee as she leaned back in her seat with a small smile on her face.
"응, 맞아. 이렇게 갑자기 나와도 찾아오시는 분들이 계시네." (Yeah, right. Some people still find us even when we come out so suddenly. Young-Mi said.
"그래도 빨리 가서 이 어색한 자세 좀 풀고 싶다. 비행기 좌석이 최고야." (Still, I want to get there fast and get out of this awkward sitting position. Airplane seats are the best.) Sook-Joo as her pout soften into a tired smile.
"곧 도착할 거야. 비행기 타면 다들 따뜻하게 입고 푹 자도록 해. 다음 콘서트를 위해 에너지 충전해야지." (We'll be there soon. When you get on the plane, make sure you're warm and get some good sleep. You'll need to recharge for the next concert.) Ms. Kim said.
The car continued its journey through the night, carrying the tired members of Peace Blossom towards the airport.
Val (Gi) had left the hotel that she had been staying at with her packed bags, now sitting in the back of the car that had brought her from the venue to collect her things. She had already packed everything, knowing that one way or another, she would have been leaving it within the next day or so. G-Bear’s offer had merely sped up her departure.
Now she was heading towards the small airport where the Peace Blossom airplane would be waiting. The record label had arranged everything for the girls, especially after the leak of their travel plans on their last trip, including the time they were leaving. It had led to the girls being mobbed as they left their hotel a few cities ago. Val (Gi) shuddered slightly at the memory of the event. It was the most scared she had been since joining the group.
The record label now kept everything top secret. There were only a handful of people who knew the details, especially as the girls were getting as big as they were in Korea. There were a few groups that were bigger than Peace Blossom were but none that had been going for such a relatively short period of time. The label had even taken to planting some fake rumours on social media to throw fans off the scent. So far, this tactic had seemed to work, so far anyway, Val (Gi) thought.
As her car pulled into the car park of the airport, it seemed that it was still working. She had arrived before the group had, which made sense to her as she had left the hotel before they would have left the venue.
“Please, Ms. Glover, go on board and get settled. We will be leaving once Peace Blossom is onboard.” One of the cabin crew members told her as she reached the gates of the terminal.
“Thank you,” Val (Gi) said in reply as she began walking towards the plane. All she had to do now was wait for the Peace Blossom show to arrive, and she would be on her way out of Korea.
She took in seat towards the rear of the plane and pulled out her notebook and continued her work on how to deal with Hyun-Hee’s nerves, with any luck, she would know what to do before everyone showed up.
