The Dorm Keeper | (g)i-dle

88 - THE PROCESS [REVISED]

ABBY's POV

"Chin up, eyes in front, now walk like you're on top of the world!" An openly homosexual man in his late thirties with half-shaved blue hair and a lot of piercings instructed me. He's Valentine Dale, the most popular and respected trainer of Tuxe and Robes.

It's said that everyone who was previously handled by him turned out to be the most successful models around the world. He's intimidating at first, but I soon found myself drawn into his professionalism.

I'm currently inside a studio based in Los Angeles, California. There are a few trained models preparing in the backstage, while the staff are all watching me, probably intrigued by the new face.

I started walking with a pair of flat shoes prior to the actual modeling. He said that he wanted to see how I carried myself in the past, so I showed him by making my way in front.

However, he seemed surprised and nearly speechless after that. "Is that it?" He asked.

I felt a bit embarrassed because of his reaction. "Y-Yes.. I probably have a lot to learn, don't I?"

At that moment, I thought that he was going to start lecturing me, but a smile suddenly appeared on his face for the first time since we met. "You got it, Ruez."

"Huh?" I confusedly looked at him. "Got what, Sir?"

"The feeling of someone who's going to make it big in the industry someday," he satisfiedly replied. "There's something in you that not many models have when they come here. You simply draw attention on the stage.. Like you were born for it."

"T-Thank you so much.." It was the only thing that I could say since I didn't know how to respond well to compliments.

"You're special, Ruez. I can see why they offered you an exclusive contract," he continued. "With that being said, you should proceed to the backstage and wear high heels. Just come back here when you're done, alright?"

I politely bowed at him and left after that. I'm honestly just relieved that I didn't make a bad first impression on him.

When I reached the backstage, the Blackpink members were already waiting for me in their usual training clothes.

"Wait, what are you girls doing here?" I confusedly asked. They were supposed to start with their rehearsals today, but they showed up here instead.

"It's your first day, Abby and we're not going to miss it for the world!" Lisa joyfully said as she wrapped her arm around me.

"But aren't you supposed to be at the venue of your concert?"

"It was moved tomorrow, so we went here after hearing the news," Jisoo smiled at Lisa then back at me. "But just believe Lisa's answer.. It sounds so much better."

"Seriously?" I looked at them in disbelief before laughing. We've already become so much closer and it's only been a few weeks since I started living with them.

"So what brings you to the backstage? Is everything done already? Did we miss it?" Rosé asked, her voice sounding feminine and elegant as always.

"Oh right!" I bit my lip as I quickly started looking for the shoes. "Valentine asked me to wear high heels and take it to the runway, but I don't have any idea which one to wear."

Meanwhile, Jennie who has been quietly watching us since the beginning actually managed to choose something first for me. "What do you think of this, Abby?" She asked as she offered me a pair of black four-inches high heels.

As usual, she seems chic from the outside, but she's probably one of the most reliable people that I met. And aside from the fact that she's drop dead gorgeous, I get to see a glimpse of her bubbly side whenever we're at the dorm together. Being with her and the rest of the girls have been a huge help to me. They've easily become my support since then.