Val (Gi) settled deeper into the plush leather of the airplane seat, the soft hum of the cabin a stark contrast to the buzzing energy of the city she had just left. Her gaze drifted to the window, watching the distant lights shimmer like scattered diamonds. Her task was clear: to further entrench Hyun-Hee in the identity of a K-pop idol, to prune away the last vestiges of Holly, the British reporter. She understood the delicate balance required. This wasn't a sudden, jarring transformation, but a gradual, almost organic melding of two lives. 'The Weave,' as her family called was a peculiar legacy of her maternal line, allowing for this subtle, almost imperceptible shift.
It wasn't about mind control or memory erasure in the traditional sense. It was about suggestion, influence, and the gentle redirection of consciousness until the new reality became the only reality. Val recalled the earliest instances of the ability in her family history. A woman who was fleeing an abusive marriage, given the chance to truly become someone new in a new country, her old self a fading dream.
Always women, always those with an innate empathy, almost a porousness to the identities of others. It was never used for ill, not overtly. Usually, it was for those who needed a new start, a complete severance from a past that haunted them. Then there was a soldier who had been struggling with PTSD; they were gently nudged into the identity of a serene gardener, the horrors of the battlefield becoming distant, unreal memories belonging to someone else.
This was different, Val admitted to herself. This wasn't about helping someone escape their past. This was about exchanging lives. It was a more active, more demanding application of The Weave. Val carried a weight her ancestors wouldn't have considered. Holly had not asked to be forgotten. Val, as Gi, had simply wanted to be someone else. Ancestors that, if this were successful, Val (Gi) would no longer belong to her; they would belong to Hyun-Hee rather than her.
Val opened her notebook again, running her finger over a blank page. The method for deepening the identity was always the same: immersion, positive reinforcement, and a gentle but consistent erosion of the old self. Every success Hyun-Hee achieved as a K-pop idol, every fan cheer, every successful performance, was a brick in the new wall, solidifying her new self. Every time she struggled with English, every time she found solace and understanding in the girls' chipping away at Holly. The public adulation for Hyun-Hee reinforced the idol persona, making it increasingly appealing and fulfilling to the individual inhabiting that role.
The sound of an approaching vehicle roused Val from her thoughts. Headlights swept across the tarmac, illuminating the side of the plane. It was them. The Peace Blossom car, followed by a second car carrying their luggage and security. Val watched, a detached observer, as the figures emerged from the vehicles. Val straightened her jacket as the plane door hissed open. She noticed Ms. Kim was the first to board, followed by the rest of the security detail.
Ms. Kim, spotting Val, offered a warm smile. "Ah, Ms. Glover! All settled in? Thank you for coming early. It helps us greatly." Her English was clear, with only a small Korean accent.
Val returned the smile, a practiced gesture, one she was finding increasingly natural. "Of course, Ms. Kim. Happy to help." Her voice was modulated, slightly lower than Gi's had been, with a subtle British lilt she was cultivating, an indistinguishable layer that served to further mask her origins.
Then Hyun-Hee appeared, a small backpack slung over one shoulder, her eyes still holding a hint of weariness from the performance, but also a spark of anticipation for rest. Behind her, Sook-Joo, Young-Mi, and Mi-Ok followed, their chatter echoing softly in the quiet cabin.
Hyun-Hee, upon seeing Val, offered a slightly hesitant wave. "Val. Hello."
"Hyun-Hee," Val replied, nodding, her tone even. Trying to reinforce the idea that Val was an outsider, a Westerner.
The other girls, Sook-Joo, Young-Mi, and Mi-Ok, offered polite nods to Val. They knew her as the reporter who had been interviewing them, a foreign presence, but one who was now part of their immediate retinue. They then moved past Val, already seeking out their preferred seats, the conversation shifting back to Korean, their voices a soft murmur, utterly unintelligible to Val if one were to believe her facade.
Val watched Hyun-Hee intensely. She noticed how Hyun-Hee immediately gravitated towards Sook-Joo, who was already settling into a window seat.
"여기 앉을까?" (Shall we sit here?) Sook-Joo asked, patting the seat next to her.
Hyun-Hee nodded, a comfortable, natural gesture. "응, 그래." (Yes, okay.) She slipped into the seat, pulling her backpack off.
Ms. Kim, after overseeing the girls' seating, approached Val's row. "You're sitting here, Ms. Glover? Is this comfortable?"
"Perfectly, thank you, Ms. Kim," Val responded. "I assume the girls are quite tired after the concert?"
"Very," Ms. Kim confirmed, a wry smile touching her lips. "Especially Sook-Joo. I packed earplugs for when she falls asleep." She chuckled, remembering the earlier conversation, then glanced back at the girls, a maternal fondness in her eyes. "They work so hard. But this trip, it's important. First overseas concert of this scale. It’s a big step for them."
"Indeed," Val agreed, maintaining her role as the observing journalist, the cultural expert. "It's fascinating to see the global reach of K-pop. And Peace Blossom's rise has been particularly swift.
Val leaned back, pretending to review her notes, but her focus remained on Hyun-Hee. She observed the interactions. Sook-Joo was already half-asleep, head lolling against the window. Young-Mi was engrossed in a mobile game, Mi-Ok still typing furiously on her phone. Hyun-Hee, however, seemed to be observing the cabin.
As the plane began its taxi towards the runway, the cabin lights dimmed. Val closed her notebook, her plans firming in her mind. She looked at the city lights one last time. Soon, she would be leaving Korea, leaving Gi, truly becoming Val. Never to return, she thought, well, not as Gi anyway. The plane picked up speed, a powerful surge pushing her back into her seat. The ground blurred, then lifted away.
