⊂★⊃ 𝐦𝐲 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 :: 𝐧𝐢-𝐤𝐢

𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶-𝗺𝗲

"Uchinaga Asuka, you better have a good reason for ignoring my calls."

Asuka winced at the sound of her older sister's voice. She hadn't meant to disregard her sister's calls. She has just been so....busy lately. Asuka could see why her sister stressed over this job. It was difficult, stressful, and time-consuming.

"Sorry Ri. I've been really busy." Asuka opened her closet, prepared for the very large task ahead of her: re-organizing her closet. It had been a mess ever since she moved in to the dorms. She had absentmindedly thrown her clothes in the large space and left them there. Of course, Asuka knew the time would eventually come when she would have to clean it, but part of her really had been preoccupied with her performances, and the other part of her decided to ignore it. But, now, she couldn't ignore it any longer.

"I remember how busy we used to be during our debut era. Don't worry, Sukie, the time will fly by pretty quickly." Asuka's sister said with eager confidence. Asuka smiled, even though her sister couldn't see it.

Uchinaga Aeri, professionally known as Giselle, member of SM's girl group Aespa, always tried to offer her younger sister some advice and comfort regarding her idol life. Aeri understood how hard this career was, and she understood the pressure being placed on Asuka's shoulders, especially considering how young Asuka was.

"Thanks Ri. How are Mom and Dad?" Asuka asked, chucking a summer dress onto her bed. There was no way she was going to be wearing something like that, not in October.

"They're doing fine. Worried about you, but I managed to talk to them about it.

"Wait, back up, what?" Asuka froze where she was standing. "They were worried about me?"

Asuka heard her sister shuffling around on the other end. " Yeah, they were worried that you were too young to be quote unquote 'following in my footsteps'. But I told them that this was something you wanted to do, not because you were following me.

The world seemed to stop momentarily. Asuka was dumbfounded. How could her parents think she was following in Aeri's footsteps? Asuka loved to dance and sing as equally has Aeri did. There was no way she was following her older sister, not ever.

But then it hit Asuka. What was the nickname her parents had adorned her with ever since she could walk?

"Mini Aeri".

That had been Asuka's nickname for years. When the Uchinagas would have family over, Asuka's parents eagerly explained the nickname: "Well, it seems like everything Aeri does, Asuka just has the do it too. Asuka's never far behind Aeri. It's rare you ever see these two apart. And Aeri, she dotes on Asuka so well."

Asuka had never been bothered by the nickname or her actions. She always made sure she wasn't being invasive or annoying to her older sister. It was a cute action, one that carried over into Asuka's teen years.

But now, the action rattled her in an unspeakable way.

Had she became an idol because her sister became one? Asuka really did love dancing. And singing. But when Aeri debuted, Asuka had stared at her parent's tv and said "I'm next."
Ever since that day, she had been working so hard to become an idol. But what was her real reason? Because she wanted to? Or because she was Aeri's mini-me?

"Giraffe? You there?" Aeri's voice snapped Asuka out of her daze.

"Yeah, I'm here." Asuka responded. She continued talking to her sister, pushing the invasive "mini-Aeri" dilemma out of her mind.

Sometime later, while the Uchinaga sisters were discussing coffee, Yoo-yeon, Acid Angel from Asia's leader, knocked on the door of Asuka and Yubin's shared dorm. Yoo-yeon entered a few seconds later.

"Suka, dance practice in ten."

"Okay. Thanks unnie." Asuka watched as Yoo-yeon left the room.

"Aeri spoke to her sister. "I'll let you go on. Remember to stay hydrated, okay?"

"I will Ri. Love you." Asuka blew a kiss to her sister and hung up.

Now, off to dance practice.

mini-me