Misuk squeezed my hand tightly, sharing in my excitement every five seconds.
But let me tell you, no one was more excited than me today. The absolute crap-eating grin I had stuck to my face was sign enough. I could barely contain it. Every time I thought about it, I felt myself ready to bounce off the walls like a kid with too much sugar in them.
Today was premiere day!
The day right before the official release of my show. But the day that I got to celebrate with my loved ones, other famous friends, and the press.
I had to spend all day getting ready and there was no better person to spend that time with than my best friend. Last time I went to a premiere, I was invited by Hoseok. But this time, I had the power to bring who I wanted. So of course, I had to invite my best friend and pre-company manager with me as well as my brother, his wife, and Hani.
Obviously, the people that were going to get me ready for my big day had to be my drama style team. There's no one I trusted more with my look. And I was hoping they'd even get Misuk a banging outfit so she could entice Yeseul.
"Ahh! Hey! It's our favorite superstar!" One of them squealed, running over to me and wrapping me in a big hug.
"Aww, look at you! All ready for your big day. Our little girl is all grown up," another cooed.
"Hey guys! There was no one better that I could think of better to be apart of such a wondrous day. This is my best friend Misuk and she's coming to the premiere tonight too," I introduced.
"Don't worry. We've got you both set up for the spa treatment. You'll be turning heads all towards you two beauties. Give us a couple hours to do our magic and we'll have you both ready to dazzle the carpet."
Her eyes were filled with a novel sense of wonder that reminded me a lot of myself on the first day I got to experience the magic of these wonderful people.
I glanced over at a standing mirror they had set up, taking a look at myself. The face staring back at me, that was the girl about to walk her first carpet event. The girl who stared at her ceiling and dreamed about such a day everyday.
"Chaerin? You ready?" Misuk called.
I gave myself one last glance before turning back to her with a smile and joining her for the Royal treatment.
｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈•ﾟ｡
"Yeseul is going to be all over you girl!" I exclaimed, cheering as Misuk did a little twirl. The team had done her well, putting her in a baby blue dress and pulling her hair back into a tight bun. They kept the makeup light and gentle in order to make certain things like her eyes pop.
"If this is the treatment you get daily, I think I might need to switch careers," she said.
"You won't find it everywhere. I've got the best style team for miles. Which is why you're all not allowed to take up another gig because I'm about to start filming for my next drama," I warned.
"We wouldn't want to work with anyone else," they chuckled.
"Okay, enough about me. Chaerin, you're literally drop-dead gorgeous. You look like a beautiful bride!" Misuk exclaimed, delicately touching my dress.
I smoothed it out, the jitters and excitement rushing up again. I looked back at the mirror, even more shocked at who I saw.
Part of me felt like I didn't recognize her. This was the girl pretending to be the characters in her favorite shows in her room? This girl in the stunning white gown and the elegantly curled hair with dainty makeup and red lips. Were they the same? Had I changed? Had I abandoned that little girl for the glamour? Did she actually feel like her dreams were being fulfilled?
Anxiety was bubbling up with my excitement, making for a very acidic feeling in the pit of my stomach.
I gasped a little when Misuk came up behind me, holding my shoulders. But my tension relaxed under her comforting touch.
"For years, I heard you ramble about how you fantasized about the day that you could wear something like this and walk down a carpet made just for you about something revolutionary that you starred in. You always would tell me it was a crazy thought and you were happy with the littler stuff you were doing. But I knew that was a big lie. I mean come on, I'm your best friend, I'm programmed to know you better than you know yourself." She turned me so I could look at her. I noticed that her eyes were all teary. "I would feel helpless when I couldn't grant you the most life-changing acting experience. I knew you had all the talent you needed and it frustrated me that no one would take you seriously. Every emotion you felt, I felt it too. But I saw how hard you worked. I watched how much you tried. And through it all, you smiled and you were kind and you were positive. That's the person I see. And I think you know that deep down. I hope you know that. You deserve everything you earn. And this is just one of those things. I don't know who your eyes are seeing in that mirror, but I see Moon Chaerin, my best friend, a hard-working woman who always puts her best foot forward with a smile, and who never lost sight of her authenticity. I knew you'd win everyone over with your character and your heart and I was absolutely right."
I pouted, pulling Misuk into a tight hug, "Thank you for always being there. For believing in me from the beginning before anyone else. You were my number one supporter from the start, and I will never forget that for as long as I live."
The bond between best friends was cinematic gold in and of itself. A love stronger than a romantic one was the love between friends. The love between sisters. That's what we had. And no love story could be greater than ours.
She pulled back with a shaky breath, trying her hardest not to cry so she didn't ruin her makeup.
"Alright darling. I think Hansol is here to pick me up. And you need to get to your fancy car and join your lovely boyfriend and your incredibly hot actress friend and wow that carpet and all those press reporters. Teach them who Moon Chaerin is. Because I'm going to lead an army of Chaerin fans and I need to make sure everyone knows where they can join," she laughed.
I chuckled softly, "I will. Thanks Misuk. For everything."
She smiled as she walked off.
This was it. This was my time to shine. This was the time to make my name known to the world.
