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matryoshkalex · 8 days ago

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02: Flying Too Close to a Star Burning Too Bright

It’s been months now since that first encounter with Giselle. You wish you could say that your relationship has blossomed in that time, but the truth is that not much has happened between the two of you since then. Both of you have hectic schedules that hardly coincide enough for you to talk, much less meet. You have exchanged a few messages back and forth, but it’s mostly just sporadic check-ins and not much else.

To your credit, you’ve managed to keep extremely busy, several photoshoots back-to-back providing more than enough work for you to sift through. That doesn’t stop you from whole-heartedly supporting Giselle’s comeback, though. You stream her music video an unhealthy number of times, watch all of her live performances, and even go as far as buying a copy of her album (something Minjeong teases you about profusely). And it’s not just because it’s Giselle, either — you genuinely think she’s an amazing performer, and it’s made all the more amazing by the fact that she writes her own songs.

As for Giselle, she’s had so much going on with promotions for her album that you hardly hear from her. Which is why you’re surprised when a message pops up on your screen in the middle of the afternoon.

[Gigi] Hey, do you have a sec for a phone call?

You can’t help but raise an eyebrow at the message. She’s never asked to call so it must be important. Thankfully, it’s your day off and you’ve got nothing else going on so you immediately dial her number. She picks up on the second ring, greeting you with her usual spunk.

“Is everything okay?” you ask immediately, your eyebrows furrowing. You hear a small chuckle on the other end in response to the concern in your tone.

“Sorry to spring a phone call on you, I didn’t mean to worry you. Everything is okay. More than okay actually...” You can hear the grin in her voice which helps ease your worry immediately. “I’m gonna be an actress!” she finally squeals, the excitement in her voice bubbling over. Your eyes widen at the news.

“Are you serious?!”

“Super serious! I had already been taking some acting lessons before, but our conversation way back when was kind of the last push I needed to actually pursue it. I started sending in some audition tapes in between my promotion activities, and I finally heard back! I wanted you to be the first to know, as promised.”

“That’s incredible, Gigi!” you gush in reply, thankful that she can’t see the way you blush at the knowledge that she really remembered to let you know. “What kind of role is it?”

“It’s for a new girl’s love drama! Somehow I landed one of the leads.”

“Seriously?! That’s amazing! You must be stoked.”

“Trust me, I am!’ She giggles and you can practically picture the smile on her face. “So stoked, in fact, that I’ll be throwing a party to celebrate my first role. I was hoping you and Minjeong would come. Jimin will be there, and I’m gonna invite some of the cast members too! I’ll send you the deets, yeah?”

“Oh, y-yeah, sure,” you stammer out, shocked that she’d want you at the celebration of something so pivotal in her life.

“Awesome! I’ll see you then~!” She apologetically ends the call after that, telling you that she has a bunch more calls to make before she hangs up. You stare at your phone for a moment, dumbstruck. And then, unsure what else to do, you call Minjeong.

“You’d better have a good reason for calling me on a day off,” she mumbles out when she answers, sounding like she might’ve just woken up. You definitely can’t blame her for catching up on sleep.

“Giselle just called me to invite us to a party she’s throwing,” you blurt out, as if that’s justification enough.

“A party? For what?” Minjeong sounds mildly more awake now and less like she wants to strangle you through the phone, but you know her well enough to know that she isn’t much of a party girl. Besides, it wouldn’t be the first time that a celebrity she worked with invited her to some sort of event so it probably isn’t that big a deal to her. Definitely not like it is for you.

“She landed the lead role in a GL and she wants to celebrate so she’s throwing a party and she wants us to go.”

“She called you to tell you that? She could’ve just texted you an invite.” You can hear in her voice that she’s smirking already, suspecting that there’s more to it than what you’ve told her so far.

“Well... no, that’s not exactly why she called. She called because she wanted me to be the first to know that she landed an acting role. It was something we had talked about that night at the diner.” Even as you say the words, you can hardly believe them to be true. And yet, saying it out loud makes your cheeks warm. On the other end of the line, Minjeong lets out a whistle.

“Damn, you must have really left an impression on her,” she teases and you’re grateful she isn’t there to see you blush.

“Oh, shut up! I was just being supportive, okay?” You let out a huff, blowing a strand of hair out of your face. “I honestly can’t believe she even wants me there. And she said she’s gonna invite some of her costars. I am gonna be so out of my league at that party.”

“Then don’t go,” Minjeong says around a yawn, sounding way too nonchalant.

“I can’t not go! Not when she went out of her way to invite me. Besides, I already said I would go. And you have to go with me.”

“Ugh, I don’t know. You know how much I hate celebrity parties.”

You pause for a beat before saying, “Jimin will be there too, you know?”

Minjeong also pauses for a moment before clearing her throat. “Well, I guess it can’t be that bad.”

“Thought so. I’ll send you the info once I get it from Giselle.”

~~~

As you expected, you feel completely out of place at this party. You’ve only just arrived but already you feel like you’re in a different world.

Even though this is technically Giselle’s party, it seems to double as an unofficial promotional event for the series. Despite the party already being in full swing, reporters still swarm outside of the club that was rented out for the occasion and they surge towards you as you step out of the car Giselle had sent to pick you and Minjeong up. You tug at the hem of your dress anxiously, feeling all too exposed beneath the flash of the cameras, especially since the dress isn’t a style you’re used to — Minjeong picked out a lilac strapless piece with a sweetheart neckline and a sheer corset, something you never would have picked for yourself. Minjeong appears at your side, looking like a star herself in a lacy black dress. She seems much more comfortable with the attention from the reporters than you, probably because this isn’t her first time doing this. She slips her arm through yours, leaning close to speak in your ear.

“Just pretend they aren’t there. There won’t be press once we get inside, you just have to deal with it for a little bit,” she says and you note the discomfort in her voice that she somehow keeps off her face. Like you, Minjeong prefers to be behind the camera, not its target, and it brings you an odd sense of comfort to know that you aren’t the only one who hates the reporters.

“Just don’t let me fall,” you respond with a smile, half joking. It’s enough to get a giggle out of Minjeong and the two of you manage to walk through the sea of reporters with smiles on your faces. You wonder for a moment what you look like through their lenses, but then you’re inside the club and you forget all about the people and cameras outside. If you felt out of place before, you feel completely lost now.

The club is full of celebrities, some that you recognize and plenty that you don’t. Despite the fact that you couldn’t name them if asked, they exude charisma and charm that makes it impossible to doubt their status. Everyone is dressed to the nines and, despite your carefully picked outfit, you can’t help but feel like it’s blatantly obvious that this isn’t your usual attire, almost as if it’s written on your forehead that you’re a nobody compared to this crowd. You suddenly feel very uncomfortable in your own skin.

You allow Minjeong to guide you into the club, weaving through the throng of people with purpose. You aren’t even sure where she’s taking you until you reach the bar and see who is standing there, leaning against the counter. Standing there clad in a beautiful, flowy red dress is Jimin, looking more like a star herself than a manager. She beams as the two of you approach and you can feel Minjeong’s hold on your arm tighten slightly. You glance at her and see that her lips are parted in awe and you smirk to yourself.

“You made it!” Jimin greets as you get within earshot, raising her voice to be heard over the music filling the place.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Minjeong replies and you bite back a teasing comment about her only agreeing to come along when she found out Jimin was coming too.

Instead, you say, “You look amazing, Jimin. That dress is beautiful.”

“Oh, thank you!” She gives a playful little curtsy. “You both are absolutely stunning as well. You should dress up more often.” Her eyes drag over Minjeong as she says it and even in the dimness of the club you can see the blush that dusts Minjeong’s cheeks.

“So, where’s Giselle?” you ask before the other two can continue their flirting. It takes Jimin a moment to peel her eyes away from Minjeong and focus on you.

“I’m not sure but she should be around here somewhere. She’s been playing hostess and greeting everyone. It’s a matter of time before she finishes her rounds and drifts back over here.” As she speaks, you let your eyes wander over the crowd, searching for a glimpse of the now-familiar pink locks. You find her just as Jimin says, “Look, there she is!”

Giselle looks ethereal tonight, as she always does. She’s wearing a black and white sleeveless top and black pants that seem to hug her curves in all the right places, and her hair is as vibrant as ever in contrast. You’re so enraptured by how beautiful she looks that it takes a moment to realize that she’s not alone. There’s a girl beside her, donned in a sleeveless black and red dress. She’s beautiful, there’s no doubt about it. You realize after a moment that the girl’s hand is resting on the crook of Giselle’s elbow, their sides pressed against each other. Inexplicably, your stomach twists uncomfortably.

“Who is that?” you find yourself asking, your voice tight.

“That’s Ning Yizhuo,” Jimin explains, not noticing your tone. “She’s playing the lead in the drama alongside Giselle. They’ll probably be inseparable for a while. The broadcasting company really wants to play up their relationship, especially since they’re already such a popular ship, what with their history.”

“History?” You feel like you probably don’t want to hear the answer but you can’t seem to stop yourself from asking anyway. Jimin nods.

“Giselle and Yizhuo dated a few years ago. They never hid it either, and the fans absolutely loved them. They ended on good terms and have remained friends, but they’ve always had some pretty hardcore shippers.” Jimin lets out a chuckle; meanwhile, your hands ball into fists at your sides at the news. “If I’m being honest, Giselle landed this role thanks to her chemistry with Yizhuo more than anything. It was exactly what the director had in mind for this show.”

You hate the way that you feel sick to your stomach hearing Jimin talk about Giselle and Yizhuo together. You won’t admit it, even to yourself, but it isn’t hard to figure out what this feeling is — it’s jealousy. Not that you have any right to feel such a thing. But you can’t help the way your jaw clenches when Yizhuo whispers something to Giselle and it makes her laugh.

As if feeling the weight of your gaze, Giselle eventually looks up, locking eyes with you across the club. You see her face light up, a smile curling her glossy lips. Normally, you’d return the smile, but right now you feel like your emotions are already wildly out of control and you don’t know if you’ll be able to keep yourself in check if Giselle comes over to talk to you.

“I need the bathroom, I’ll be right back,” you mutter out, barely loud enough for Minjeong or Jimin to hear. You don’t wait for a response before turning on your heel and marching away as quickly as you can manage without falling.

The bathroom is mercifully empty, allowing you the privacy you need to compose yourself. There’s a little lounge type area before the actual stalls and you stop in front of one of the vanity mirrors, leaning against the counter and trying to calm yourself. You can still clearly picture Yizhou clinging to Giselle and it makes your stomach clench again.

“Hey, stranger,” a voice suddenly says behind you, pulling you from your thoughts. You know who it is before you even look up — her voice is unmistakable — but you can’t help the small gasp that leaves your lips as your head snaps up. You meet Giselle’s eyes in the mirror, taking the time to note that she isn’t smiling like usual before slowly turning to face her.

“Giselle,” you murmur, your voice breathier than you intended. She looks even more beautiful up close, if that’s even possible, and it makes it even harder to keep your unwanted emotions in check.

“I was starting to worry you wouldn’t show,” she says, her tone and expression oddly unreadable.

“I told you I’d be here, didn’t I?” you reply, eyebrows furrowing. She shrugs lightly.

“People say a lot of things they don’t mean.” The twinge of sadness in her voice makes your chest tighten.

“I’m sorry for making you doubt that I’d come. This just... isn’t exactly my scene. It took longer to get ready than I expected. But I wouldn’t just not show up, especially without telling you.”

“Well, the time it took to get ready certainly paid off.” As she says it, her eyes drag over you slowly and the heaviness of her gaze makes a shiver shoot down your spine. She takes a step towards you, so close that you instinctively want to take a step back, but the counter behind you prevents you from creating any distance. Giselle brings a hand up, her fingers tracing the pattern in the sheer material of your dress, causing goosebumps to raise along your arms. “This especially... I love this.”

You want to thank her, or return the compliment, or say anything really, but you’re barely breathing at this point and speech seems to be beyond you. Whatever little oxygen is left in your lungs feels like it gets sucked out when Giselle shifts even closer to you, her palm flattening against your side and her fingers splaying over your ribs. Her eyes move back up your body to meet your own eyes, which are wide with surprise.

“You look beautiful,” she breathes, and she’s close enough to you now that you can smell the faint tang of alcohol on her breath.

“Giselle, are you drunk?” you force yourself to ask, trying to understand where this odd behavior is coming from.

“No, not drunk. I’ve only had a few drinks. I needed the liquid courage.”

“Liquid courage? Why did you need that?”

“So I could finally do this.” And then she’s kissing you, the hand on your side sliding around to rest on the small of your back, her other hand coming up to cup the back of your neck. Once again, your first instinct is to pull away and create some distance, but Giselle’s hold on you doesn’t allow for that. Besides, it’s not like you actually want to pull away. In fact, it only takes a few seconds before the initial shock fades and you melt into the kiss. Giselle’s lips are soft and they still have the faint bitterness of alcohol on them, but at the moment it almost tastes sweet to you.

Your racing thoughts become a muddled mess of static, your mind unable to focus on anything other than Giselle — the way her lips mold to yours, the brush of her fingertips against the nape of your neck, the slide of her hand from the small of your back to your hip and then lower. Without warning, her hand slips behind your thigh and she pulls you up, seating you on top of the counter. You suck in a sharp breath of surprise at the sudden movement and you break the kiss to look at Giselle with wide eyes when she nudges your knees apart to step between them. Your already short dress rides up your thighs in this position, making your cheeks burn.

“Wait, Giselle,” you gasp out, breathless from the kiss and the way her hands glide up the bare expanse of your thighs to rest on your hips.

“Wait for what?” she husks, leaning in to ghost her lips along your jaw and trail open-mouthed kisses down your neck. You struggle to remember what you even meant to say, the press of her lips on your skin more than enough to divert your thoughts. She pauses her ministrations to glance up at you, her eyes dark and her lips parted like she wants to say something. But you never get to hear what it might’ve been because you’re suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice.

“Aeri, what the hell are you doing?” You look up to find a furious-looking Jimin standing at the bathroom door, Minjeong at her elbow staring at you both with wide eyes. Your eyes go from them to Giselle in time to see her expression shift from slight surprise to a cold mask of indifference, a smirk you’ve never seen on her face.

“Oh, nothing. Just having a little fun,” Giselle responds and you hate the way your stomach drops at the nonchalance in her voice. Jimin storms over, grabbing Giselle’s arm and tugging her away from you — it’s almost like you’re invisible, neither of them paying you any mind.

“What were you thinking?! Need I remind you this party is full of cast and crew for your GL series and that there are hoards of reporters outside with their eyes on you right now? What would you have done if someone else had walked in here and seen you?” Jimin berates Giselle angrily, and you’re too flustered and confused to really follow what’s happening.

“Everyone knows Ning and I aren’t actually back together. Besides, it’s not like we were exclusive even when we were together,” Giselle replies with an air of annoyance. Something about that makes your stomach churn uncomfortably.

“That isn’t the point! You have a reputation to keep up, especially right now with the drama on the line. The absolute last thing you need is another scandal, and I really thought you’d be more thoughtful than to drag someone else into your mess, much less someone outside of the industry who isn’t used to the same pressures as you.” Listening to Jimin makes you realize that there was a lot more at stake here than you had even realized. You suddenly remember Minjeong’s warning to you about Giselle’s track record and dread begins to pool in the pit of your stomach. You glance at the pink-haired girl, silently praying that she’s better than the reputation that precedes her. But then she scoffs, pushing her hair back with a frustrated flick.

“Relax, okay? It’s not like it’ll happen again anyway.” Her eyes dart to you and suddenly you don’t recognize the other girl at all. Her gaze is icy, the smirk on her lips cruel and impersonal. “You might want to clean up a little before you leave, by the way.”

Before you can form anything resembling a coherent response, she turns and leaves the bathroom without another word. Jimin looks at you and then at Minjeong apologetically before sighing and following after Giselle. You feel like time stands still, your mind racing to catch up with the events that just transpired. When you look up, you catch sight of yourself in the reflection in the vanity mirror on the opposite wall. You now know what Giselle was referring to — you have traces of her lipstick along your neck, your own lipstick smudged around your mouth. It isn’t until then that you realize you’re crying, mascara tacks running down your cheeks. You reach up to touch your cheek, needing to feel the wetness on your fingertips to confirm that this is really happening.

“Are you okay?” It’s Minjeong, her hand tentatively coming to rest on your arm. You can tell from her tone that she’s been trying to get your attention for a while now, but you genuinely hadn’t heard her. You turn to her now, feeling moments away from being crushed by the raging emotions rushing to catch up with you and your frazzled mind.

“Jeong… I want to go home,” you manage to say, your voice watery and weak. She nods immediately, helping you down from the counter and holding you like you might crumble away without her reassuring touch. Honestly, you just might. After all, nothing turned out the way you expected it to, and you don’t know how you’ll be able to deal with the aftermath.

falling star taglist: @spidrgamer

#AND ANOTHER ONE!!!#guys guys guys #look at my sis!!!!!#ella writes #fanfic #aespa fanfic #giselle x reader #jiminjeong #aespa #karina #giselle #winter #ningning #falling star #k.c. twins

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matryoshkalex · 8 days ago

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01: The Brightest star in the Sky

“Jeong, I’ve got your coffee!” you announce as you step on set, precariously balancing two cups of coffee in one hand, a clipboard in the other. You manage to make it to Minjeong’s side without spilling either drink and she gratefully accepts the cup on top, taking a sip of the scalding liquid and hissing out a curse under her breath as it burns her tongue.

“Fuck, you’re a lifesaver,” she says, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

“I know, what would you do without me?” you reply playfully. You sip your own coffee as you look over the shooting schedule on your clipboard. “So, when is this high end client of yours finally going to show up?”

You refrain from making a comment about how she’s already late, putting you all behind schedule. Minjeong has made it abundantly clear that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to collaborate with a rising star — one who she has conveniently neglected to name as of yet — so you know there’s no point in commenting on her punctuality. Still, Minjeong rolls her eyes at the slight bite to your tone.

“She arrived while you were out getting the coffee, she should be in makeup by now,” the brunette replies dismissively, her attention shifting from you to the tripod she has set up in front of the yellow backdrop you selected for this shoot. She waves you over to ask you about the lighting and you set your drink and clipboard down to get to work. You’re still adjusting the lights when she steps out — a stunning woman with vibrant pink hair. Her outfit is fairly simple — camo pants that accentuate the curve of her hips, a camo cap to match, and a dark gray muscle tee that puts her black bra on display and shows off her slim but toned arms. Despite the simplicity, she manages to look ethereal. The dark hues of her outfit make her hair seem brighter, the pink locks framing a vaguely familiar and undeniably beautiful face. This must be the star of the hour, the mysterious client Minjeong’s been keeping hush hush.

“Jeong-ah!” the woman beside the starlet, presumably her manager, grins and waves at Minjeong. “Sorry for the delay, we should be ready to go now.”

“No need to worry, we’re finishing the setup now,” Minjeong replies, her face lighting up at the other woman. She calls you over and you tighten the lighting fixture you were tweaking before joining her and the other two women. She introduces you to them, letting them know that you’re her assistant and are responsible for the set design and lighting. She then motions to the woman she greeted before. “This is Jimin, we went to university together and got back in touch to finally work together for this project. And this,” she gestures to the pink-haired girl who’s currently smiling politely at you, “is our client for today, Giselle.” Now that you have a name to go with the face, recognition dawns on you. Both her face and name have been all over magazines and billboards, the up-and-coming singer gaining a lot of popularity in the past year. Minjeong continues, “This photo shoot will be part of the photo book for her first full-length album.”

“And I’m so grateful that you’ll be the one taking the pictures,” Giselle pipes up, flashing Minjeong a sweet smile. “Jimin has told me a lot about how great your work is, and she showed me some of the magazine shoots you’ve done. I can’t wait to see how this turns out!”

“Well, I can’t take all the credit.” As always, Minjeong sings your praises, treating you more like a partner than an assistant. It makes you blush, especially when Giselle’s gaze hones in on you as Minjeong speaks, curiosity making her dark orbs sparkle. You clear your throat, quickly returning the conversation back to business.

“Right, so, um… Giselle, if you’re ready to go, shall we get started?” you suggest, trying not to sound pushy. The singer nods, looking almost sheepish for a moment.

“Sorry, yes, of course. Sometimes I forget that there’s a schedule to stick to.” She gives a soft chuckle before her eyes flick between you and Minjeong. “Maybe we can continue this conversation after the shoot over dinner? I’m sure Jimin would like to catch up with you, if nothing else.”

Before you can even process the invitation, Minjeong has already accepted for both of you, shooting you a look that pleads for you to just go with it. You have half a mind to make up an excuse to back out, but Minjeong genuinely seems to need your presence there and Giselle already looks pleased with the plans, and you don’t have the heart to disappoint either of them. With a sigh, you accept before ushering Giselle into place to get things rolling before they can start roping you into more plans against your will.

In your time working with Minjeong, you’ve seen your fair share of models from all ends of the spectrum, from first-timers who need a lot of guidance to get comfortable in front of the camera to seasoned professionals who live and breathe being photographed. Giselle definitely falls into the latter category. She might even be one of the best models you’ve ever worked with. It’s like she was born to be in front of the camera. She hardly even needs instruction, effortlessly striking poses and flashing her stunning smile at the lens. After a few photos, Minjeong suggests going for an edgier, more sultry look. Giselle gives her a thumbs up and then seems to morph into a completely different person. She schools her expression like a pro, the bubbly persona melting away and her bright smile shifting into a smolder. It’s mesmerizing to watch, the ease and precision of the switch catching you off guard.

“Holy shit.” You don’t mean to say the words out loud, you really don’t, but they leave your lips in a gasp before you can stop them, just loud enough to be heard between the clicks of the camera. Loud enough, apparently, for Giselle to hear you. Her eyes glance off to the side to where you’re standing watching the monitor where the pictures are appearing in real time. For a moment, her cool demeanor cracks and she stifles a giggle. She composes herself so quickly that you would’ve thought you imagined it if not for the picture that pops up on the monitor of her mid-laugh, her head ducked slightly to try and hide the smile. It’s a beautiful candid shot, if you’re being honest, but you’re mildly embarrassed at being the reason she broke character. You spend the rest of the shoot avoiding eye contact with everyone, especially Giselle — and wondering vaguely if you’d be allowed to keep that candid shot…

~~~

You’re almost done packing up the lighting equipment later that evening when Minjeong appears at your side. She looks tired, as usual, but there’s a smile on her face that indicates a satisfaction with the day’s work.

“Hey, you,” she greets you, helping you set aside the equipment for the rest of the crew to store. “Jimin and Giselle picked out a restaurant for dinner, they just left. I’ll send you the address and we can meet there, yeah?”

“About that…” you start, but she holds a finger up before you can say more.

“No, nuh uh, no way. You cannot ditch, you already said you’d go!”

“But Jeong!” You give a childish whine, pouting at her. “I wanted to start on the editing of the pictures tonight!”

“You can start tomorrow!” she counters. “Jimin and Giselle are already expecting you to be there.”

You groan, hating that she’s right. It’s not even that you don’t want to go, exactly, you just worry about how awkward it will be, especially since Minjeong and Jimin clearly have history. But before you can try to reassert that you have work to do, your stomach rumbles loudly, undermining any attempts you could have made to get out of this dinner. Minjeong smirks, knowing she’s won, and waves her phone at you.

“I’ve already texted you the address, I’ll see you there in a few.”

~~~

You’re not sure what you’re expecting the restaurant to be, but it certainly isn’t the cozy little diner your GPS guides you to. Granted, not many restaurants are open at this hour — it’s nearing midnight by the time you pull into the parking lot and make your way into the diner. It’s dimly lit and rustic, with an almost log cabin kind of feel to it, and the temperature is deliciously warm, a welcome contrast from the frosty evening air. You’re surprised to find that there’s a few people scattered across the various booths, but it’s far from crowded and you quickly spot your group in a booth in the back corner of the restaurant. You slip your jacket off as you make your way over to the booth, sliding in besides Minjeong who is deep in conversation with Jimin. Giselle, who was idly scrolling on her phone a moment ago, looks up and smiles when you sit down.

“Oh, thank goodness,” she breathes, rather dramatically. “For a moment, I thought you would be leaving me alone to third wheel.” She casts a pointed look at Jimin, who seems to just be noticing you now and offers you a smile and a small wave before resuming her conversation. Minjeong doesn’t even acknowledge your presence, too busy animatedly talking to Jimin about something from their university days.

“Have they been ignoring you this whole time?” you ask, giving Minjeong a withering look that goes unnoticed.

“No, but I made the mistake of asking about their time together in school and they started recounting things that I couldn’t follow.” Giselle gives another dramatic sigh, propping her chin on her palm. You notice that she’s changed into a black hoodie and the dark color once again makes her hair pop. She still has her makeup from the shoot and the contrast against the comfy clothing is almost comical, yet she still looks stunning. Belatedly, you realize that you got distracted and that she said something to you at some point. You refocus your attention to find her smirking at you. “Shocked by how hot I am again?”

The bold statement makes you sputter, your cheeks warming at the realization that she’s referring to your comment during the shoot that made her laugh. “N-No!” you quickly stammer out, only to trip over your words as you try to elaborate. “I mean, not that you aren’t hot or anything, that’s not what I meant, I just—“

Her laughter cuts off your rambling and you can’t quite decide if you’re mortified or proud to have made her laugh twice in one day. She gives you a cheeky smile. “Relax, I’m only teasing. No need to turn into a tomato.” She giggles again, lightly poking at your heated cheek with the tip of her nail. Before the comment can fluster you further, her expression becomes one of curiosity, her head tilting like a puppy’s might. “What was it that made you react like that earlier though?”

“Ah, um… I was just impressed, I guess. By your expressions and the way you turned on that cool, sexy look so easily.” Somehow, you get the words out coherently and now it’s her turn to blush.

“Oh, thanks,” she replies, somewhat shyly. “I would’ve thought you’d be used to that kind of thing by now.”

“Sure, I’ve seen a lot of talented models who are good at posing but I don’t know… There was something about watching you slip into a new persona in real time. It felt like watching an actor get into the headspace for their role.” You feel kind of silly offering your explanation, but the way that Giselle’s eyes light up at the compliment makes it totally worth it.

“You know, I actually want to get into acting!” she gushes, sitting up a little straighter.

“Really? You should go for it, I have a feeling you’d be good at it.” The smile that Giselle gives you then makes you feel breathless.

“You really think so?” You aren’t sure why she says it like your opinion on the matter holds any weight, but you nod anyway and are rewarded by her smile growing wider, her eyes disappearing into little crescents. “Well, I guess whenever I start acting, you’ll be the first to know.”

“But you don’t have a way of contacting me,” you blurt out without really thinking about it. Only after the words leave your lips do you realize that it almost sounds like a pickup line, which is definitely not what you intended. Giselle’s eyebrows arch at the comment and heat floods your cheeks, but before you can rush into an apology, she holds her hand out across the table. You glance at her outstretched palm and then back to her face, giving her a questioning look.

“Your phone,” she says when you clearly don’t get the message. You’re still not quite following, but you hand over your phone upon her request, unlocking the device before giving it to her. You watch Giselle quickly tap something into your phone and then her own phone screen lights up. Even upside down, you recognize your phone number flashing across her screen and you finally realize what she’s doing. She’s smiling when she holds your phone back out to you. The phone is still open to your call log and you can see that the most recent call is from your new contact “Gigi.” You aren’t sure why that makes you blush. “There, now I do have a way of contacting you! And you can feel free to reach out to me too, of course.”

At that point, the waitress comes over with food for the table. It hadn’t even crossed your mind that no one had come to take your order, meaning Minjeong must have ordered for you before you arrived. Conversation at the table dies down a bit as you all dig into your meals, but you can’t help casting glances at Giselle every so often, wondering how she can still look so effortlessly pretty while eating a burger that’s half falling apart in her hands.

As the night winds to an end, you all bid each other goodnight, everyone a bit sluggish now due to the late hour and the food filling your bellies. To your surprise, Giselle pulls you into a drowsy hug when she says goodbye to you, mumbling out “Don’t be a stranger” in your ear before pulling away and climbing into the passenger seat of Jimin’s car. You stand in the parking lot and watch the car drive away, suddenly feeling far too awake for the ungodly hour of night.

~~~

You’ve just barely managed to climb into bed when your phone buzzes on your nightstand. You groan, contemplating ignoring it before finally giving in. Unlocking your phone, you see you have a missed message from Minjeong reminding you of the early morning shoot you have the following day. However, the message that just came in is the one that has your attention — it’s from Giselle.

[Gigi] Did you get home safe?

Such a simple message shouldn’t have warmth blossoming in your chest, yet there you are, about to squeal into your pillow like a school girl.

[You] I did, just climbed into bed. You?

You can see that she immediately reads the message and you find yourself wondering if she actually cares that much about your reply.

[Gigi] I got home a while ago. Had an idea for a song though so I’m not in bed yet.

[You] Do you not have any schedules in the morning?

[Gigi] I actually have to be up in a few hours for the first part of my music video shoot.

[You] Then… shouldn’t you go to bed?

[Gigi] Not while the creative juices are flowing!

[You] You’re so gonna regret this in the morning.

[Gigi] I’ll be fine mom~

[Gigi] Anyway, gotta go finish this so I can get at least a few hours of sleep. Just wanted to check in and make sure you were okay.

[Gigi] Goodnight~

You bid her goodnight, unable to stop yourself from smiling as you set your phone down and drift off to sleep.

~~~

“So, you and Giselle, hm?” Minjeong says after you wrap up the shoot the next day, her eyebrows arched when she looks at you.

“So, you and Jimin, hm?” you mimic back to her, mirroring her expression. Your lips quirk in satisfaction at the way color rushes to her cheeks.

“Th-That’s not what we’re talking about. We’re talking about you.”

“Jeong, there’s nothing to talk about.” You turn back to your computer screen and the selection of pictures from today’s shoot that you’re meant to be picking through, but the mention of Giselle makes it difficult to focus.

“Didn’t seem like nothing. You talked all through dinner and she gave you her number. She even hugged you goodbye.”

“I can’t believe you noticed anything other than Jimin that night,” you mumble under your breath, catching Minjeong’s blush darken out of the corner of your eye. At a normal volume, you add, “Last time I checked, that’s how making friends works.”

She gives you a look that tells you she definitely doesn’t believe you. “Well, last time I checked, Giselle Uchinaga is not the kind of girl your gay ass can just be friends with.”

You open your mouth to protest but shut it just as quickly. As much as you don’t want to admit it, she has a point. Giselle is exactly the kind of girl you’d fall for in a heartbeat, and you can’t deny that your brief interaction with her already has you in a choke-hold. Minjeong gives you a smug, knowing look that makes you want to put her in a choke-hold. You glare back at her. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“You like her~” she sing-songs, smirking. “Don’t you?”

“I barely know her!”

“That’s never stopped you from having a crush on a pretty girl.” Again, you can’t argue with her so you roll your eyes instead, trying to focus on your work and ignore her. When she speaks again, though, her tone has grown serious. “Hey, just… be careful, okay?”

The playful edge has completely left her voice, making you look up. Her expression looks almost… worried. “Be careful with what?”

“With pursuing Giselle. She’s a nice girl and all, but she has a bit of a reputation with being a heart-breaker.”

“Nothing I haven’t dealt with before, right?” You shrug and flash a small smile, trying to lighten the mood, but Minjeong still looks uncertain.

“Just keep in mind she’s also a celebrity that is very much in the public eye right now. The last thing I would want is for you to get roped into one of her scandals.” Oh, right. Now, that you had not considered. In all honesty, Giselle had seemed so down-to-earth, so mundane despite her ethereal looks, that it had been easy to forget that she isn’t just a girl you had met through a mutual friend — she’s one of the biggest stars in the country right now. The harsh reality of her grandeur makes you deflate slightly, your playful smile faltering.

“Don’t worry. It’s not like I’m actually gonna try anything with her anyway.” And you almost mean it, too.

#EVERYBODY LOOK #ella writes #fanfic #aespa fanfic #giselle x reader #jiminjeong #aespa #karina #giselle #winter #ningning #falling star #k.c. twins

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