rose knew that she was on a time crunch. even though it was one of the days that she didn’t have any prior engagements or schedules, there wasn’t a lot of time for her to spend there at the gaming cafe. her manager had dropped her off and told her that he would be back in the next few hours. like always, she just bowed her head respectfully and agreed to the conditions. she was used to being told what to do and following orders after all. it had become second nature to her. 

when the decision to spend the day, or more accurately a few hours, at the gaming cafe was one that was spur of the moment. she wasn’t sure who to invite with her on her little expedition, but when she came across laylia’s contact information in her phone, she knew that she had to reach out to her. even though they knew each other well enough to have each other’s phone numbers, they still weren’t extremely close, and rose took this as her opportunity to change that. 

“it’s been way too long.” she reached out to give her arm a friendly squeeze and rub, the smile never leaving her lips. “the plan honestly is just to enjoy as much time as i’ve been given here. my manager’s supposed to be coming to pick me up at five,” she glanced at her phone, which signaled that it was just a little after noon. “i’ve been good! just finished up promotions for 2bee, and now we’re working on our next full group comeback. what about you?”  

truth  be  told  ,  laylia  was  taken  aback  by  the  whole  place.  the  cafe  with  gaming  props  sounded  like  her  dream  just  came  true  and  she  was  able  to  connect  two  things  she  loved  dearly  ,  coffee  and  gaming  ,  and  the  idol  was  glad  to  be  invited  there  despite  her  busy  schedules  in  a  few  past  months. every  opportunity  she  had  to  meet  someone  new  felt  like  a  part  of  her  was  becoming  free  and  that’s  what  she  was  going  for.  although  rose  wasn’t  a  stranger  to  her  ,  they  never  really  had  a  chance  to  grow  closer  and  laylia  had  all  the  courage  in  the  world  to  make  some  changes.  and  so  did  the  other. 

“  five  is  still  a  good  few  hours  away  so  we’ve  got  plenty  of  time  !  “  female  nodded  her  head  a  few  times  as  her  lips  grew  a  genuine  smile  sent  towards  the  other.  ryuyoung’s  eyes  were  shifting  back  and  forth  from  rose’s  face  to  the  menu  ,  grabbing  her  stomach  softly  to  pat  it  a  few  times  in  a  rather  theatrical  manner.  “  i  am  starving  actually  ,  should  we  order  some  snacks  before  we  head  to  some  games  ?  “  she  suggested  before  she  focused  all  her  mind  on  the  other  updating  her  about  what  was  happening  during  the  time  they  haven’t  seen  each  other.  laylia  frankly  enjoyed  this  type  of  conversations  because  it  only  proved  to  her  how  many  different  life  paths  were  there  and  that’s  just  interesting  ;  on  top  of  that  young  idol  genuinely  wanted  to  know  how  she  was  doing. 

asuna couldn’t remember the last time where she had landed in a city and had felt somewhat content, the way the soft breeze hit her skin and messed with her hair. it felt freeing, something she had been restricted of in a way for quite a while. knowing that sydney was laylia’s homeland, knowing she grew up here, she was rather excited to see what the city had to offer. she had heard loads of things about sydney, and it only made her want to visit even more. asuna knew that being away from home was difficult, especially if your home was in a completely different country. and that was something that she could relate with laylia about, and she just hoped that being back home for a little bit would help the younger in whichever way.

she loved a drink, she did. she didn’t drink so often, but when times called, asuna was there and ready. and it felt like an alcoholic beverage was needed right now, it was deserved for the two of them. it was risky to had on out to a bar or pub in seoul, and she couldn’t deny that she had done it a few times. only when she was desperate for a fun adventurous night, which didn’t happen all too often - she didn’t want to get carried away. being the oldest in femme fatale, it meant that she had the big sister, motherly type persona with the fellow members. she didn’t mind it, it was actually rather nice to look after the rest of her members in a way. they were a team, a family, and asuna would always be there for them no matter what.

a gentle smile etches onto her lips, though she couldn’t help but feel a tinge of sadness knowing that being back almost brought tears to laylia. it reminds her of just how long they had all been away from home, away from the place they had grown up. asuna knew exactly the feeling. she follows laylia’s actions, taking the funky straw between her fingers and taking a few sips of her pornstar martini. it could be lethal if she drank it too quick or drank too much, so she paces herself, not wanting laylia to end up having to carry her back to their hotel. nodding along, her fingers unlatch the straw. “it was nice, wasn’t it? i enjoyed being able to see everyone after so long. but that’s understandable, nothing beats home.” she giggles lightly, letting her elbows rest on the table as she looks at the other. “it’s lovely, the scenery is so nice and it’s so different from seoul, i’d love to come back on a real vacation! we should do that some time if we get the chance.”

             taking another sip of her rather strong drink, laylia knew that the topic of their conversation would soon turn emotional for the young female, although she wasn’t anywhere near her drunk state. being away from home for so many years brought all sorts of emotions and memories which were compiled in this city, bringing along some pure happiness which she hasn’t felt in a while. tall buildings, wide streets and hearing her native accents all around felt like home already even if she didn’t get to go to her family house yet as their place was in the suburbs, all quiet and calm. but she was counting down hours before her father would come and take them back. 

“ I would love us to come back here sometime for a real vacation! there are so many places I want to show you guys, and I think you’d love every inch of it. “ female nodded her head a few times, letting a content smile to grow upon her lips as she glanced at asuna. mention of a mere moment when they would be able to relax in australia, all on their own, without shooting a program brought joy to laylia. it was something she secretly thought about before but never knew how to mention that to the company, which would most likely not like the idea especially as they would gain no profit from it. “ some places got completely destroyed though, my favorite forest is completely burn out and it is really sad to see, but not everything managed to vanish with fires, and I was glad it finally stopped when it did. such a tragedy. “ she added, now shaking her head along with her mention of last year’s wildfire. 

kyunghwa didn’t care much for shopping, not for herself at least. most of her clothes were things she asked her stylist to pick and the woman did a great job of fulfilling kyunghwa’s expectations – so why would she waste a few hours of her day to walk around shops trying to find stuff to buy? better to hand her credit card off to someone who knew what they were doing and would be far more interested in the task at hand than kyunghwa ever could. still. she was doing laylia a favor, she reckoned, or the girl just wanted some company and she was unlucky enough to choose the wrong unnie to invite. kyunghwa hadn’t wanted to say no, however, as it’d have meant stay at home or go practice, neither of which she was currently all that interested in. “ why do you even bother to go shopping? ” she asked, arms wrapped around herself, watching the younger girl. “ aren’t you girls at that stage where your fans still send you gifts? surely, they get you plenty of expensive clothes. ”

              going out to shop wasn’t ever something laylia found not interesting, quite the opposite, as these moments were one of very few when the female could experience some sort of freedom. not knowing the other’s keen of tagging herself along, she didn’t really consider any type of rejection as an answer, wanting to spend some quality, in her book, time with the other. “ I think it’s quite relaxing, and could be seen as a form of exercise if you might. ” ryuyoung responded, adding a few nods of her head as she turned around to face cherry, sending her a warm smile. “ and there’s always some sort of excitement going along with it. or at least for me. and yes, fans do buy us some expensive clothing items and brands send us free things, but I don’t want anyone else to tell me how to dress. I see this as my own freedom, my own way of expressing myself. “ female added, and that was her truth. although she should feel lucky for being able to get many clothes and accessories for free, including big fashion brands, she never wanted anyone else to determine what’s her style and what isn’t. 

there was nothing quite like company ordered social interaction to spend the first night at the resort. even though it was clear that arguably most people were there simply because they had to be, interacting out of necessity rather than actually wanting to be there, yul was probably one of the few who was enjoying himself. a social butterfly, he was totally in his element. plus, being able to talk and enjoy a roasted marshmallow or two was an added bonus. cooking had never been his forte though - he had been banned from the kitchens in the unity dorm and he probably should not have been left unsupervised in his own home around cooking appliances, but he managed somewhat. it was a miracle that his marshmallows weren’t bursting into flames on every try, though that didn’t mean they were a bit more crispy on the outside than he had intended. a sigh escaped his lips before he placed it in his mouth, accepting his reality. it could be worse, he figured, before turning to look at the person closest to him to bug. in situations like this, yul never really cared if he knew the person well enough or not. jumping straight into conversations was always something he did and that was probably why people often believed that he lived in a world of his own. thankfully, he actually knew laylia. a grin appeared on his face as he leaned over slightly so he could be heard. what came out of his mouth was a seemingly random question, but there was always a method to his madness.

“you know, have you ever considered getting another piercing?” 

             joining  the  bonfire  was  the  first  thing  laylia  had  on  her  list  of  things  to  do  in  the  resort  ,  and  as  soon  as  they  unpacked  in  their  rooms  ,  she  stormed  outside  to  meet  the  crowd  of  idols  enjoying  themselves  during  the  drip.  in  fact  ,  it  was  only  the  first  night  and  not  so  many  people  were  out  yet  ,  but  that  didn’t  seem  to  phase  the  young  idol.  coming  closer  to  the  event  ,  she  noticed  a  little  rack  with  sticks  which  were  prepared  for  them  beforehand  and  a  bunch  of  marshmallows  ,  meats  and  other  goods  which  could  potentially  be  roasted  upon  the  bonfire.  placing  herself  on  a  little  bench  ,  away  from  the  direction  of  the  wind  ,  ryuyoung  stuck  a  little  marshmallow  on  her  stick  ,  reaching  out  towards  the  fire  to  roast  it  up  a  little.  truth  be  told  ,  that  reminded  her  of  home  to  the  point  she  nearly  felt  a  little  emotional  but  quickly  wiped  away  the  tear  which  didn’t  quite  make  it  to  her  cheek  yet.  her  little  trance  was  disturbed  by  a  sudden  appearance  which  was  followed  by  a  question  just  a  second  later  ,  taking  her  aback  for  a  moment  before  she  realized  who  it  was.  of  course  ,  she  should’ve  seen  this  coming  but  she  was  glad  he  was  the  one  to  disturb  her  a  little  bit.  

There weren’t a lot of people miyeon spent her free time with, often preferring to get more hours in practicing or catching up on sleep that she has lost. however, there was a very small amount of people that could pull miyeon out of her routine. laylia was one of those people that she’d drop everything for, and buzzed with excitement at any chance to talk to laylia. “I haven’t had to chance to properly talk to you and catch up for quite a while.” despite not having any demanding schedules this month, the other was currently on a world tour. miyeon was lucky enough to catch laylia the day before femme fatale took off for the next city. 

“make sure you take care of yourself, okay? and if you ever need to talk, i’m always a phone call away.” this was like routine by now, always making sure the younger knew that she was there for her whenever. the worrying wasn’t something new to either of them, as miyeon has been looking after laylia since when they both were trainees. “i’m sure you get tired of me saying that each time i see you. how about we talk about something other than my excess concern about you? how about the retreat? how did you like it?” a soft smile that reaches her eyes on full display, “i still can’t believe i didn’t run into you when we were there. what did you even do? it should’ve been nearly impossible to that to happpen.” she huffed.

              although  laylia  was  a very  social  person  and  would  definitely  be  considered  known  by  many  people  around  ,  there  was  only  a  handful  she  could  and  would  willingly  trust  ;  miyeon  being  one  of  them.  “  I  know  ,  and  I’m  gutted  that  we  didn’t  get  to  see  each  other  before  the  previous  departure  !  “  she  admitted  ,  reaching  out  towards  the  other  female’s  hands  to  grasp  them  softly  in  a  friendly  manner.  that  was  one  of  her  ways  of  showing  affection  as  words  ,  at  least  in  her  book  ,  don’t  mean  as  much  as  gestures  and  she  has  always  stood  by  it.  touring  the  world  shrunk  her  interactions  to  a  very  specific  group  of  people  ,  and  although  it  would  be  a  lie  to  say  that  she  didn’t  enjoy  their  presence  ,  she  truly  missed  those  who  were  left  behind  in  korea.

“  I  don’t  think  that  will  ever  get  tiring  ,  trust  me.  I  really  appreciate  these  words  and  it  lifts  me  up.  the  mere  thought  about  that  I’ve  got  someone  by  my  side  no  matter  what  ,  ah  ,  my  heart’s  getting  real  warm  right  now.  “  laylia  let  a  genuine  smile  to  grow  upon  her lips  as  her  hands  found  their  way  to  the  left  side  of  her  chest  ,  theatrically  showing  the  other  the  feeling  she  spoke  about.  female  was  always  truly  glad  to  have  someone  this  close  for  this  many  years. 

Femme  Fatale  only  have  concert  dates  in  one  city  this  month  (  as  they  continue  to  film  for  their  video  diaries  series  )  ,  which  is  a  change  from  all  of  the  traveling  they’ve  been  doing  since  the  beginning  of  the  year.  while  they’re  in  Seoul  ,  they’ll  lay  down  the  needed  vocals  for  the  upcoming  release  of  the  Japanese  version  of  their  Kill  This  Love  EP  ,  but  other  than  that  ,  they’ll  have  some  downtime  this  month  ,  though  they’re  still  busy  enough  they  won’t  get  a  true  vacation.

Important dates:

July 17: Femme Fatale In Your Area World Tour concert at IMPACT Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

July 18: Femme Fatale In Your Area World Tour concert at IMPACT Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

LAYLIA’S  AESTHETIC  -  Femme  Fatale  in  Sydney from  Laylia’s  point  of  view  !

who: with @layliafmd​ when: 26th june where: a bar in sydney, australia

thank god, a day off from touring meant that asuna was able to have a longer lay in that day, waking up at eleven in the morning rather than eight or nine am. things had been a bit weird lately, and maybe it was the feeling of loneliness or homesickness, but one city to another, it was safe to say that things were getting a bit above her head. more weight on her shoulders that began to push down, she didn’t enjoy the feeling at all. she felt suffocated, in a way. this was the life of an idol, and things weren’t always easy. it was unrealistic, and the last few weeks had been more tough for asuna than she wanted to admit. the wellness retreat was fun and gave her the chance to take a step back and truly relax, but when the trip was over, it was back to reality.

when they landed in sydney, the cold temperature hit her like a ton of bricks and she felt the goosebumps forming on her skin. at least, in a way, hopefully sydney would be more of a welcoming feeling than the previous cities had been. maybe it’s because laylia had grew up here, and if laylia grew up here, then at least she knew the city well. and that’s how the two members find themselves hidden in the depths of a bar, a table all to themselves and asuna taking small sips of her vodka and lemonade beverage. sporting a casual but sweet outfit, all she really cared about was hopefully having a bit of fun while the two were out for the few hours. her and laylia were roommates in the dorm, so naturally, their bond was as strong as could be. with her hands clasped around her glass, finger tips softly tapping against it, she speaks. “how does it feel to be back home? i bet you missed it a lot.”

            it  was  the  time  that  laylia  was  waiting  for  ,  and  as  soon  as  they  were  informed  of  some  free  time  awaiting  them  the  following  day  ,  the  smile  wasn’t  leaving  the  idol’s  face  even  for  a  split  second.  here  they  were  ,  in  her  home  land  ,  having  a  quick  stop  to  explore.  it’s  been  a  while  since  she  came  back  to  australia  ,  and  all  she  could  think  of  was  that  she  wants  to  see  her  family  again.  it  was  surprisingly  cold  for  that  time  of  the  year  since  australian  winter  at  this  point  shouldn’t  be  this  freezing  but  that  finally  felt  right  to  feel  some  breeze  embracing  her  body  at  the  end  of  june  just  like  she  was  used  to  back  in  the  day. 

bar  crawling  is  something  she  hasn’t  done  in  ages  ,  and  probably  wouldn’t  be  allowed  to  peacefully  do  in  korea  ,  although  she  only  did  it  a  few  times  while    visiting  home  with  her  elder  siblings  and  a  few  friends  from  high  school.  laylia  was  happy  that  she  got  to  show  at  least  a  little  bit  of  her  past  to  asuna  as  they  were  very  close  and  she  was  the  one  to  listen  to  her  concerns  and  times  when  she  would  cry  being  homesick.  knowing  that  they  grew  up  in  completely  different  environments  ,  she  knew  it  would  be  a  new  experience  for  the  other.