#when saph is in trouble. ace got her back in the game

[gree-gon]

team promise

[seouledbysisi]

Moonlit

Chapter 2

Chaeyoung hurried to the mail box. Everyday she was praying that she would hear something from one of her top college choices. She figured college in Seoul probably would never happen but she had to try. At least if she didn't go it wouldn't be from lack of effort. The mail box was empty once again. Weeks had passed since Sapphire and Riley had spoken with the investor and they had the decision to expand. She couldn't let her sister leave without at least trying to get to their dream together. It sounded ludicrous of course, but Korea sounded like a good experience.

Chae ran into the house and noticed her mom at the kitchen island reading something. “Hey mom, bye mom.” She yelled and attempted to run downstairs.

“What the hell is this, Chae?” Her mom stopped her.

Chae could tell she was angry about something. It couldn't be her grades because she was acing everything and she hadn't been in any trouble so she was confused.

“What is what, mom?” She moved closer and noticed the small font reading Hongdae University.

Her mom slammed the packet onto the island. “Why, Chaeyoung? Why the hell would you think it was okay to apply to a college all the way in South Korea? Are you crazy?”

Chae sighed. “I didn't think I would actually hear back from them.”

“So you wasted a application fee for what? A joke?” Her mom was becoming even more angry. “College is not for games. You could've used that money for something else.”

The front door creaked open. Riley could hear the conversation which made her want to bolt back through the door.

“Mom, can't you just be excited at the fact that I actually got accepted?” Chae smiled big as she held the packet close to her heart.

Her mom chuckled a bit. “Why would I be excited when you're not actually going?”

Riley took a deep breath but stayed quiet.

“I am going. I have a scholarship that I can use anywhere. I got accepted to my dream college, I'm going.”

“I am your mother so as long as you live under this roof you will follow my rules and one of those rules is that you're not going to college out of the country. Especially not your first year.”

Chae's eyes began to fill with tears. “Why are you doing this to me, mom? It's not like i'm going there alone. Riley and Sapphire will be there too.”

“You had something to do with this, didn't you?” Their mom looked towards Riley.

Riley stared at the ground for a moment. “I knew she had applied but I didn't coach her to do it.”

“So you didn't coach her against it either did you?”

“Mom, she's about to be 18. You have to let her spread her wings and fly. Who am I to tell her not to follow any dream she has? She's not hurting anyone.”

Her mom's eyes welled with tears. “Why are y'all both leaving me?”

“Mom, we're not leaving you. We're just trying to live our lives. I'll visit as much as possible and we have phones for a reason but don't make her throw this amazing opportunity away. Please!”

Chae grabbed her mom's hands. “Please ma. I really want to go.”

Their mom snatched her hands away. “I've made my decision. You're not going. Riley, I can't stop you but I won't let you take my baby girl and that's the end of it.”

Riley shook her head and mouthed sorry to her little sister.

“I love you for life but I'm going to Hongdae University whether you agree with it or not and that's real. You can't stay mad at me forever.” Chaeyoung spoke honestly.

Her mom simply shook her head and grabbed her keys and left for work.

Riley sighed loudly. “Did you really have to say all of that?”

“Well it's better that she knows now, instead of me just packing and hopping on a plane in a month. I have to get situated there during the summer before fall classes start.” Chae shrugged.

“I know but she's really upset with us.”

Chae patted her back. “She'll get over it especially when she comes to visit and sees the reason why we want to be there so bad.”

“If she ever does visit. She's super mad, sis!” Riley took a deep breath.

A month had passed and the deal with the club promoters had been finalized.

Sapphire and Riley were at the airport getting ready to depart for Seoul.

Chaeyoung's eyes began to well up. “I'm going to miss you. Both of you.”

Sapphire and Riley pulled her into a huge hug. “You'll see us soon!” They both guaranteed.

Riley and Chaeyoung's mom shook her head. “Yeah when y'all come back.” She intervened.

Chaeyoung rolled her eyes a bit. “That's what you think.” She said under her breath with a sly grin.

Riley hugged her sister once more. “Everything will work out, no matter what. Trust me.” She kissed her forehead.

Sapphire squeezed Chaeyoung's hand a bit. “Stop crying, Chae.” She nudged her chin with her knuckle. “We'll see you in Seoul.” She whispered.

Riley embraced her mom. “Please just think it over about Chae. This has been her dream forever, don't make her miss out on it because of your fears. Plus me and Sapphire will be with her every step of the way.”

“Have a safe flight!” Their mom disregarded Riley's last words.

Riley simply sighed and nodded her head as she watched her mother and Chaeyoung walk away.

After a few days of endless unpacking and business meetings they finally had gotten settled in their new apartment in Seoul. It almost felt like home.

A knock sounded off of the door to their apartment.

“You expecting anyone?” Sapphire asked.

Riley gave her a peculiar look. “I've been here just as long as you have, how would I know anyone?”

Sapphire shrugged and headed for the door. She looked through the peep hole and saw their dark haired business partner, Minho. He was a handsome man who had to be in his later 30s. He was slim and always wore business suits, but that may have been because the only time she or Riley had laid eyes on him was when there was a meeting involved. With his debonair looks it was a shame that he didn't have a wife at home, where ever that was. For all they knew he may have been gay. He never really seemed to show an interest either way, and he never mentioned his life outside of work but it seemed like work was the highlight of his life.

She swung the door open and moved to the side so that he could come inside. “What are you doing here?”

He was wearing a red, black, and grey plaid button down shirt with black casual pants to their surprise. He looked nice when he wasn't overdressed. 

“I'm taking you ladies out. Get dressed!”

Riley cleared her throat. “Excuse me? This so last minute.”

“Plus, why tonight?” Sapphire asked.

He raised an eyebrow. “It's a Friday night. If you want to beat the competition you have to scope them out.”

“So you want to take us to a club?” Sapphire was a bit confused but she wasn't about to turn down a night of fun.

He nodded. “The HOTTEST club yet. That is until Moonlit in Seoul officially opens.”

“And which club is this?” Riley probed with her hands on her hip. She was all about having fun but they had literally just put away the last box of their things and her body was exhausted from all of the moving.

“Ever heard of Club Aura?” He asked as he made himself comfortable on their couch.

Riley's eyes bulged. “I think I saw a billboard somewhere around here with that name on it. Is it that hot?”

“Get dressed! VIP waits for no one.” He snapped his fingers.

Sapphire's breath got caught in her throat. “We have VIP?”

He nodded and waved them away. They both went to their separate rooms to find something to wear.

About an hour later they emerged from their rightful rooms and Minho was literally shook at how beautiful they looked.

Sapphire

Riley

“Y'all went from sweatpants slouch couture to Goddesses.” Minho exclaimed as he stood up and grabbed his phone. “Pose like the models everyone will think you are tonight.”

They struck poses together and left the apartment to head to the club.

When they finally made their way through the crowd they were escorted by some of the club staff to the VIP section which was huge and their were multiple private areas which were already filled. Minho nodded to a group of guys.

“Y'all performing tonight?” He asked the men.

Sapphire and Riley barely paid attention to the interaction. They were more intrigued by the aesthetic of the club itself and how alive it was. There wasn't a dry spot in the building, kind of reminded them of how their club was back home but it was refreshing to be on the other side of things this time.

The guy shook Minho's hand and pulled him into a quick hug. “Nah not tonight, we just coolin'. Two dates tonight?”

Minho chuckled a bit. “No it's not like that. We're business partners. They just moved here for a while so I'm welcoming them.”

Riley tuned into the conversation.

“Hey, ladies!” The guy approached closer to them. “You look like my next girlfriend.” He added.

Sapphire giggled. “You must have us mistaken for desperate broads. Nice to meet you though.”

“Chill Loopy.” Minho shook his head with a small laugh. “He's joking I swear.”

Riley stared at this Loopy character for a bit. “You know they say when guys joke all the time they're trying to distract you from the area that they're lacking in.” She winked at him and walked away.

Loopy's smile faded quickly. “She ain't have to hit me like that, strangely I like it.”

Sapphire shook her head and walked to their reserved area as Minho finished his conversation with the guy.

Sapphire bobbed her head to the music as she crossed her leg over the other. She examined the activity of the club and the surroundings.

“Is it just me or has that guy with the tats on his arms been watching you since we got up here?” Riley asked as she discreetly kept her eyes his direction.

Sapphire looked around to see what Riley was going on about. The guy sure enough was staring but he could've been staring at anyone, it was more than just them in the VIP. “Girl, he’s probably looking at those girls shaking their non existent asses over there.” Saph laughed out loud.

“If you say so.” Riley knew better. He hadn't taken his eyes off of Sapphire since Minho's interaction with them started.

Minho sat between them on the couch. “So those guys are rappers, pretty well known and I may have secured you an opening night performer.”

“They any good?” Riley asked honestly. “We need opening night to be the absolute bomb!”

Minho pulled his phone out and showed them a few performances of the crew. “Are they good?”

Sapphire nodded. “Pretty dope. But we need someone for Friday and Saturday so we can sell out both nights.”

“We still have time to find others too, but anyways they're signed to a label called MKIT Rain but they're all solo artists.”

Sapphire and Riley nodded.

“Whose the guy that can't keep his eyes off this one?” Riley asked out of the blue.

Minho looked over to see who she was referring to. “Oh, that's Bad boy loo or in short form just BLOO. He's originally from L.A. I'm surprised you don't know him. His music has a really chill vibe to it. He doesn't talk very much in fact I've never had a real conversation with him that I can recall.”

“Ooh dark and mysterious. You like that don't you, Saph?” Riley messed around.

Sapphire took a sip of her mixed drink. “Seems to me like you like it more than me since you keep talking about him.”

“I'm kidding, I'm sorry. He is cute though.”

“Is he? I hadn't noticed.” Sapphire backfired.

Minho interrupted quickly. “So, do you like the club?”

“I can see why there's so many people here.” Sapphire answered as she walked to the railing and watched the men and women bouncing and jumping to the music.

There was a hip hop artist onstage and the crowd seemed to be very into it. There was no doubt that she had a sick flow even if they couldn't understand half of what she was saying. They had been studying Korean for a while but her flow was really fast so they could only catch bits and pieces of the lyrics.

“Is she really popular?” Riley asked as her toe began to tap against the cream colored flooring.

Minho shrugged. “I've never heard her before tonight but the crowd doesn't seem to mind that she's new.”

Sapphire noticed the Bloo guy light a cigarette from her peripheral which he held between his front teeth.

“I think I'm going to go down there. Wanna come?” She asked.

Minho stood as well. “You're not going alone. I'd feel bad if anything happened to the both of you on my watch.”

Riley grabbed her hand as they walked past Loopy and his crew.

“Leaving so soon?” Loopy begged for their attention.

“We're checking the place out, why do you care so much?” Sapphire raised her eyebrow.

Loopy sized her up from head to toe. “I can't have my eye candy leaving without telling me goodbye.”

“You don't give up do you?” Riley asked with a smirk on her face.

Loopy reached for her hand but Bloo caught it before he could make contact.

“They're obviously not interested like that, just cut it out man.” The smoke steadily escaped his mouth as he spoke.

Sapphire stared at him as he sat back down on the couch and pulled Loopy with him.

“Enjoy your night ladies.” He spoke again and then there was silence.

The ladies descended down the steps to the main floor with Minho in tow behind them.

“It's a miracle, seems like you got Mr. dark and mysterious to talk after all.” Minho added.