We used to be happy, but now is a different story. We barely had time to spare each other, because we are both busy. I'm busy with my Solo Career as a singer. She was busy being a model and a Girl Group Member. We used to be bandmates, until I quit and signed with ReVeLabel under Son Seungwan Unnie, yes that Son Seungwan who was famous for hitting high notes on her debut, despite her having a vocal chord nodule. She believed in me and signed me as her first two artists, one being her old group, Red Velvet.
Blackpink, my old band was still out and conquering the whole world except Korea as a Trio. I quit because YG Entertainment doesn't give us the freedom to create our own music and after the 7th year, I resigned altogether. It was hard to let go of my band and her. But I had to get creative freedom. I had to do this to get my feelings and thoughts out through song writing. Being given the chance to create my own music was the first thing that appealed to me, but not at all about the freedom, but simply how the label treats their artists.
In YG, we were oppressed bunch of girls who 'don't know' what they are doing. We were treated as if we were Grade School kids, they were strict about the songs we perform, often hand me down songs from the defunct group 2NE1. We mostly recycled every song they rejected. Even listeners to our first hits, could tell that the song was for 2NE1 and not Blackpink. We couldn't go out to have drinks or date, we can't drive on our own although the 4 members already had driver's licences.
YG was a tyrant and although our main producer Teddy Oppa was a nice and encouraging man, CEO of YG entertainment was a different story altogether. We were treated poorly until the very last OT4 comeback. After that, Seungwan Unnie and I met accidentally at a café. We talked and she mentioned that she's opening her own label and is at that time looking for artists to join them. I knew how Seungwan Unnie works, she's like a mother to her members assuming the role of an Unnie, even to the leader of Red Velvet, Bae Joohyun Unnie. Seungwan Unnie is just a caring person, she dotes on her members, always making everyone of her members comfortable. This was the deciding factor for me.
We talked and I said, I recently quit YG effective after the final comeback. I told her that I'd like to join them in 5 months. I wanted 5 months to spend on myself and my girlfriend Lisa, maknae of Blackpink. 5 months of touring Thailand, where she was born, spending time with her mom, Mommy Chippith and Dad Marco. Both our families knew about us, they knew about her and who she was to me. Even the pinks, Jennie Unnie and Jisoo Unnie knew about Lisa and I. We never really tried to deny who we were to each other. Neither did we have a chance to talk about it with our Blinks. It's been 10 years since we've been girlfriends, 10 years of playing stuff off as really close sisters, best friends even.
We should be celebrating today, it was our 10th anniversary today. But Lisa was running 2 hours late. I know she's back here in Korea, we scrambled to get to our shared appartment, she coming from a shoot for Vogue France, I coming home from the solo Korean Tour, I had. CEO Son knew that I'd take a day off during this day and then continue the Korean Tour and then prepare for my world tour after. I sighed at the second hour she hasn't come home just yet. I started to eat my steak that I prepared for us both, because it's already cold. I finished both meats when my door opened abruptly, like she pushed the door harshly.
Enter Lisa, trying her best to juggle the things she had. She had an awful lot in her hands, a mini fraisier cake with a 'Happy Anniversary!' topper on the right, balloons tied to her left wrist and a bouquet of 2 dozens white roses cradled on her left arm. She smiled sheepishly at me, knowing I'd probably scream at her for her tardiness.
"Happy Anniversary! Je t'aime tellement, Chérie." She said smiling at me.
"You're late, Lisa. Not just a few minutes, but 2 hours." I said to her sternly.
