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“Thanks so much for coming, everyone!”
A roar of thunderous applause and cheers erupted throughout the concert arena.
On the main stage was a four-idol female group whose popularity skyrocketed quite recently.
“We hope you enjoyed the show! Until next time!”
With one final wave, March and her other idol members exited backstage, though not before pausing abruptly to form a large heart together.
Ecstatic cries and standing ovations exploded everywhere, and all at once, came a unanimous and resounding echo:
“REMEMBERANCE, REMEMBERANCE!”
“WE LOVE YOU, REMEMBERANCEEEE!”
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As soon as the group left the stage, the torment continued.
March forced a smile as more flashes of light hit her in every direction. “Thank you, thank you!” She continued waving her hands as she, along with the other members of her group—Castorice, Hyacine, Robin, and Aglaea—huddled close as they advanced.
With Aglaea as the eldest and their leader, she urged the rest to follow after her. “Hurry, or you’ll get left behind.”
Robin and Hyacine stepped up with March and Castorice closely behind.
“ROBIN, ROBIN! OVER HERE!”
“GIVE ME A SMILE, ROBIN!”
By the call of her name, the violet-haired idol acknowledged the swarm of paparazzi and backstage crew huddling over in their direction.
Courteous as ever, Robin waved a hand their way.
“MARCH, MARCH!”
“GIVE US A WAVE OR A SMILE, BEAUTIFUL!”
Right on cue, March mimicked exactly what Robin had done, giving them more or less the same equal treatment as she was instructed to do.
Aside from Robin, who was known prior for her charity works and modeling gigs, the mainstream attention was also on March.
Then again, that was to be expected.
For she was the youngest sister of the famous idol, Cyrene.
Three years ago, when it was announced by their agency that March had been successfully recruited, all eyes were naturally on her.
The high expectations and judgments were extraordinarily high, with a majority of Cyrene’s devoted fans openly predicting the path to March’s budding career. So far, most of the fans were supportive of her decisions, hoping to one day catch the rising star sharing the same stage as her sister.
And for March herself, all her hard work and sacrifices paid off by the end.
This was a brand new chapter in her life.
At long last, her dream came true, for she was a part of a female idol group.
And today was the third day of their international tour.
Despite another successful performance, she and her team knew that it wasn’t over.
This week, they were performing in Penacony, with the following week set to Planarcadia.
Which means more airplane flights, more practice sessions, vocal practice, and the constant demand to remain under the starlight while retaining their perfect images at all times.
As exhausting as it was, March did her best to keep up with the others.
Gotta keep positive! March encouraged herself, forcing another smile as she carefully maneuvered through the congested hallway with her team.
She cast a glance over to Castorice, who met her gaze and gave her a hesitant nod.
Knowing her friend for so long, March naturally moved closer, offering her arm. In response, Castorice silently wrapped and clung to her senior friend’s left arm for dear life.
“I’m very tired,” Castorice whispered inside March’s ear, her periwinkle eyes noticeably droopy and heavy.
March nodded in kind and once more looked around the crowded halls.
“We need to keep moving, or we’ll get left behind,” March reminded her, then squeezed her junior’s arm reassuringly. “Just stick close to me, okay? We’ll be back at the hotel in no time.”
Castorice nodded, keeping her head lowered.
Together, they tailed after their group, all the while collectively keeping their smiles and waving in sync.
An idol’s life was never a dull moment, and as much as March enjoyed every second of it, sometimes she wished that she could have some peace to herself.
Unfortunately, that wish would have to be put on hold for now.
Not when they were still on their world tour.
Suddenly, she felt a towering presence slipping next to her right side.
March caught this and looked over, eyes instantly widening as soon as she spotted the shadowy figure. Her heart swooned once she met the black frames of his sunglasses.
Ah, there he was—the man of the hour.
Her savior, her bodyguard.
She felt a slight nudge on her elbow and, looking over, noticed that he was offering her a water bottle discreetly.
In the midst of the chaos, it was considered a welcoming gesture.
Without a word, March accepted it and then offered it to Castorice, who was quick to take it and drink it carefully as they walked.
March knew that he was watching her, probably judging her silently for what she had just done.
But even so, she didn’t care.
Her once depleted energy immediately surged the moment he entered the picture.
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Thanks to Castorice’s assigned bodyguard, Mydei, who stopped any paparazzi from further interacting with the poor girls, the crowd eventually dispersed.
In no time, the entire idol group was surrounded by a few more bodyguards, gathering around them and acting as physical shields for them.
“All right, all right, everyone! For crying out loud, let’s have the girls get their beauty sleep, yeah?” Cipher exclaimed, clapping her hands to catch the paparazzi’s attention while the rest ushered the idol group out of the stadium building and into the parking lot.
One by one, the five girls entered their shared limousine.
At one point, March was assisting Castorice inside when she nearly tripped over.
“Ah!”
She could feel herself falling backward, only for a set of hands to catch her within minutes.
“Be careful now,” murmured the deep, low voice behind her.
March instantly turned pink, biting her lip hard and slipping a quick apology for her carelessness. “I owe you one!” Turning her head, she managed to sneak one last look at her assigned bodyguard, who was quick to move away and create a respectable distance between them.
March caught this, and her heart sank a little.
Even so, she reinforced another one of her smiles in his direction. “Thank you,” She said one more time before entering the limousine.
Once the door closed behind her, she made herself comfortable next to Castorice and Hyacine, who warmly welcomed her in with hugs.
“We got everyone,” They heard Aglaea tell their limousine driver, Hysilens, and from the left corner, March spotted their agency manager, Cerydra, seated at the front as well.
“Good job out there, girls.” Cerydra praised, clapping slowly. “All of you deserve a good night's sleep.”
Now that they were away and out of sight from their fans and paparazzi, they could finally drop their forced visage.
“Hanging there, girls?” Robin spoke up, giggling even with her raspy voice.
“I just wanna sleep,” Castorice moaned, placing her head on March’s exposed shoulder, to which the other girls collectively laughed.
“We’re still gonna eat dinner, right?” Hyacine asked, her voice strained. “My stomach’s growling like crazy!”
“We will, don’t you worry,” Robin assured her junior, patting her on the knee with a tired smile. “In fact, it will be my treat.”
Squeals and smiles were exchanged, mostly coming from the juniors who were eager to sink their teeth into something meaty or flavorful.
Agalea and Robin shared chuckles as they gave each other knowing looks.
Then there was March, who was suspiciously quiet.
She smiled and nodded, welcoming the familiar sight and warmth of her friends, who all shared the same journey and dream together.
But for once, her mind was neither on sleep nor food.
Her eyes trailed off to the window, her mind wandering elsewhere.
She bit her lower lip, still blushing and reeling over her tiny interaction with a certain someone.
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Another successful show in the books.
And now, they made it back to their hotel, safe and sound. By Cyrene’s personal suggestion, their agency secured an entire floor for themselves to prevent any possible fan or paparazzi from entering. This also meant that their security was expected to be in place, roaming around during nightly hours, and keeping the girls from any supposed harm or danger.
Shortly after dinner and taking a quick shower, March escaped to her room.
“What a day…” She moaned, diving straight for her bed and exhaling contentedly.
She heard a familiar giggle nearby and, looking up, caught the smile of their youngest member.
“You could say that again,” Hyacine murmured, already cozied up under the sheets with her unicorn plush next to her.
March smiled at this, stretching her arms and yawning loudly.
Now that they were away from the spotlight, she could finally be herself—even for just a few minutes more.
“Do I expect the usual rendezvous with a special someone?” Hyacine spoke up, wiggling her brows suggestively.
At this, March blushed red. “No, it’s not like that!”
Hyacine laughed heartily. “Aww, come on, Sevy! We all know how much you’re head over heels over you know who!”
March pouted adorably, folding her arms as she turned away. “Please be realistic now, Hyacine. You know that kind of relationship is deeply frowned upon.” She murmured, sinking her face deep into her pillow as she lamented it over.
Now that she thought about it, what would’ve happened?
In this particular line of work, love was deeply forbidden. It was for the best anyway, especially when it came to their safety and to strictly avoid damaging the loyalty and trust of their devoted fans.
For some reason, Agalea was the notable exception.
As the eldest and leader of the Remembrance, somehow, she was given leniency.
While it was still kept a secret from the general public, a few hardcore fans knew—an unspoken truth that Aglaea was secretly engaged to a certain renowned scholar.
Thankfully, it didn’t seem to burst any bubble, and for now, they were in the clear.
Then there was she whose reputation was strictly built upon luck and nepotism. She had a lot of weight on her shoulders, the expectations of her fans and even her agency…and the thought of revealing her closed feelings regarding a certain someone would definitely impact not only her reputation but also tarnish her sister Cyrene for good.
With that in mind, March knew that this thing between them wasn’t meant to be.
Sure, mister bodyguard was quite the eye-candy, so kind and attentive, but wasn’t that part of his job criteria as a bodyguard? And maybe just maybe, his true self might be entirely different from who he portrayed himself to be? Like idols, there's a strong possibility for bodyguards to wear masks of their own.
What if all that kindness so far has been nothing but an act?
March frowned, closing her eyes.
In the end, they came from two different worlds.
Heck, she doesn't even know a single thing about him at all!
I don't even know his name...
“You’re unusually quiet over there. Is something on your mind?”
March perked up, looking over to catch Hyacine’s worrisome expression. She managed a smile. “Nope, just tired.”
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It was 1 am, and poor March couldn’t sleep.
Slipping from her covers, she tiptoed out of her room. Looking back and forth, she sighed in relief, smiling as she was in the clear.
Stepping out of her room and into the empty, lit-up hallways brought a sense of comfort to her.
Hands behind her back, she allowed herself to enjoy her precious moment of solace.
No fans, no noises.
Just her alone with silence as her welcome companion.
Rounding the corner, she found a small lounge with a glass chandelier hanging above. She took notice of the large glass windows from the side and, with a smile, proceeded to take a seat and silently admire what the night view offered for her.
There’s the Oti Mall over there, the Dewlight Pavilion…hmm, didn’t Robin say she lived here? Ah, I should’ve asked her to point out where her building might be—
“Can’t sleep?”
March’s heart thumped hard.
Immediately, she hopped off the couch, whirling around and ready to apologize—
“Oh!”
Speak of the devil, here he was, the man of the hour.
“Hey!” She greeted him with an awkward wave.
In turn, her bodyguard simply stared her down.
March gulped, trying hard not to blush. Despite his imposing demeanor, she couldn’t help but swoon over him. “Well, yes, I guess you could say that,” She answered as best she could, settling back down on the couch and flashing a nervous smile.
Her bodyguard tipped his head, brows creased as if he was conflicted with something.
Suddenly, he moved again, this time over to the nearest vending machine.
March watched his every move, heart beating fast as realization hit her.
That’s right, they were both alone right now at the lobby…
Just the two of us…
“Here.”
March instantly flinched, looking up once more, and was left astonished by his fast return.
“Oh, thank you!” With a smile, she accepted the warm drink in her hands…
Wait…
“Lemon ginger hot tea?”
“Is there something wrong?”
March shook her head, feeling her cheeks burn as she took a moment to appreciate the drink in her hands. Lemon ginger hot tea was her usual go-to drink. Then again, she never mentioned it to anyone, so how did he figure it out?
“You should probably get back to your room,” Her bodyguard reminded her, tucking his hands in his pockets. “You’ve got a big day ahead of you.”
March nodded, finally getting up. “Can you walk me there?”
There was a moment of silence between them.
March bit her lower lip, realizing too late that maybe that was a bit too much of a request.
Until her ears picked up the sound of shoes clacking against the flooring. Looking up, she caught her bodyguard walking ahead.
She watched him pause briefly to glance over.
And at that moment, her heart swooned.
He wasn’t wearing his sunglasses anymore. Instead, she was greeted with the kindest and warmest green eyes.
Albeit the noticeable wires on his ears (probably for security measures), March never took into consideration how, despite his intimidating figure, he looked to be quite young. In fact, he looked to be around her age.
“Are you coming?”
Before she knew it, she followed her heart, nodding as she dared to move closer to meet him halfway.
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With his back turned and leading the way, March seized this chance to get a good look at him.
Since the very beginning, he moved like a shadow, preferring to be nameless and in the dark while she was sought after and thrived in the spotlight.
What a cute ponytail. March mused, restraining the urge to giggle as she fondly stared at his long ponytail slightly swaying from his back. I wonder what he looks like with his hair down?
“You’re not much of a talker, are you?” She spoke up, trying to lighten the mood.
Once again, she was left silent.
She smiled sadly, head down as she fidgeted with her hot drink in her hands.
“What’s there to talk about?”
His voice tickled her ears, and all at once, March felt incredibly alive.
He spoke back to her!
“Lots of things!” She urged, picking up her pace to match his stride. “Like, what’s your favorite drink?”
Her bodyguard gave her a weird look, then redirected his focus straight ahead.
“Mung bean soda.”
March crinkled her nose. “Really?”
“Really, really.”
March giggled. “It suits you!”
It was only one question, but deep down, March was overjoyed.
Who would’ve thought that in a million years, her bodyguard would finally be talking with her?
If only this moment could last a little longer. March wondered, smiling. Oh, maybe I could ask for—
“...We’re here.”
March blinked, pausing as she found herself facing her door.
“Oh.”
“...”
She looked up, smiling as those same green eyes stared back at her.
“Thank you,” was all she could manage, bowing her head.
Her bodyguard gave her a quick nod in return. “Have a good night.” And then turned just as fast, already taking a few steps away…
A flash of something white and pink caught March’s eye.
“Ah!” Reaching out, she managed to catch the item on time. Exhaling in relief, she brought the item close to her face.
She could feel a familiar shadow towering over her again, and this time, she knew right away who it was.
But March refused to look up this time as she stared at the item in her hands, eyes shining and heart beating fast as the truth was right in front of her.
It was a photo card…but not just any photo card—it was of her during her early days of debuting.
She was still quite young and naive back then, wearing her trademark blue and white dress that she loved so much, posing with her plush brown rabbit, and nearly sitting cross-legged on the wooden floor. Despite holding up a propped blue camera, her attention was directed at the cameraman.
It’s my first promotional photo card.
March slowly looked up and, to her shock, was met with the most extraordinary sight.
Her tall, intimidating bodyguard had magically turned into a red-faced, blubbering mess.
“I-I can explain,” He croaked, all the while trying his best to avert his eyes from her.
March was frozen still, yet her stomach was making somersaults.
Who would’ve thought that this whole time, her gorgeous bodyguard was a lowkey closeted fan?
More importantly, he was a fan of hers!
My cute bodyguard is a stan!
March smiled at this discovery, trying hard not to jump into his arms or hug him tightly (that was definitely prohibited, especially in this line of work)
Oh, how she wished she could just cross that forbidden line between them, to let him know that their feelings were mutual, as she adored him as equally as he did.
“Thank you for taking such good care of this,” March commented, choosing not to tease or ridicule him as she handed the photocard back to him.
Dan Heng was quick to snatch it, only for March to withdraw her hand when he attempted to take it.
“Hey, what are you—”
“What’s your name?”
“...”
March cleared her throat. “If that’s okay with you–”
“...It’s Dan Heng.”
March smiled at this, her chest growing warm. With a smile, she offered her other free hand out to him.
“Say, Dan Heng, do you have a pen I can use?”
Her bodyguard, Dan Heng, gave her a questionable look, and yet still gave her what she requested as he handed her a black marker.
“Thanks!” Taking it, March was quick to flip the photocard over and write something.
Done and satisfied, she returned the photocard to him.
This time, Dan Heng was hesitant, flashing her a doubtful look.
March frowned at this. “What? You don’t want it anymore?” She slowly retracted her hand again—
“—I never said that,” Dan Heng grumbled, taking the photocard back and then placing it inside his left chest pocket.
March put on a smile, trying hard not to squeal from how adorable he was acting. Opening her door, she headed inside, though not before poking her head and giving him a wink. “Goodnight, Dan Heng!”
Dan Heng was left alone.
Walking away, he finally found the closest corner to take a moment to breathe and gather his thoughts.
All at once, the feelings he kept inside resurfaced, his mask breaking as he burned beet red.
She talked to me…THE March Seventh talked to me!
Ever so carefully, he took out the very same photocard he had cherished all these years.
To think that his dream had finally come true, finally being able to interact with his favorite idol, his first crush, and his first love.
Heart beating, Dan Heng inspected the photocard carefully. Minding the noticeable crease and soft edge from its vintage age, Dan Heng’s eyes softened as he stared at March’s youthful smile and face.
They were around the same age when she first debuted.
At that time, he was at the lowest point of his life, but somehow, seeing her perform while tuning in to his regular morning shows gave him the spark he needed to keep going.
While it was a mere coincidence that he somehow wound up becoming a bodyguard, the very thought that he was hers truly felt like a scene out of a movie.
To think that studying to become an Xianzhou officer, and by the grace of the Chief of Police, Jing Yuan, he would be entrusted with this line of work.
He couldn’t help but smile at their small interaction; how seamless and easy it was to converse with her. There were times when he had issues, preferring to offer her items like water bottles, for example, to show his appreciation and support…
Earlier, when March accepted his bottle, he only gave it to Castorice instead.
In truth, he felt like his feelings had been rejected, that she merely thought of him like everyone else, solely meant for the background and nothing more. Or maybe she could’ve had trust issues- who knows? But at the same time, the way she looked after her crew…just that one time, Dan Heng knew to put his feelings aside and disregard it.
Only for him to find her again, sitting all alone in the lobby.
It was a reckless thing to do, offering her another drink and then walking her back to her room.
He shouldn’t have, but deep down, he wanted to.
I’ll do anything for her.
It was those little, quiet moments that made his job and life worth it.
With a smile, he went on to put the photocard back in his front pocket…except—
“Huh?”
Wait, didn’t she write something on the back?
Curiosity got the better of him, and without warning, Dan Heng flipped the photocard over.
In an instant, his face turned immediately deep red.
Thank you for supporting me all these years!
Lots of love, March Seventh
XOXO
(307-426-2023)
“You seem happy,” Hyacine commented, brushing her senior’s mopey hair. “Did something good happen?”
March stopped what she was doing, looking over her shoulder, and then smiling. She held her phone screen close to her chest, knowing that in the next few days or so, she would have something personal to look forward to.
March beamed. “I had an amazing dream last night!”
A sudden ping from her phone alerted her. She immediately shifted her attention, her smile resurfacing as soon as she saw his name pop up onscreen. And I hope I won’t ever wake up from it!