Barefaced | Kim Taehyung

Chapter 16

I wake the next morning to the bright summer sun, shining through the crack in the curtains. My eyes wince at the sudden brightness as I stretch my arms out and my chest rises. I take in a deep breath before realising that I wasn't woken up by my alarm yet I felt surprisingly well rested. I scrambled to check the time on my phone, worried that I had slept through my 11am alarm.

"8:52am"

Phew. I was due to meet Miss Jackson at 1 so I had a good 4 hours to get ready, pack and eat breakfast. I was also hoping to call Miss Emily since I ignored her text yesterday.

I was excited, today we would be moving onto the second country of the tour - Germany. I had never particularly wanted to go to Germany on a holiday or such, yet I was excited to explore some of the culture, even if I didnt have much free time.

I quickly showered and brushed my teeth before pulling out some clothes to wear. Since I wasnt technically "working" today, I didnt have to wear my uniform so I picked some dark blue denim shorts, and a black and white striped t shirt which I tucked in.  Its supposed to be nice and sunny today so it's a shame I'll be spending most of my time travelling.

By the time I looked presentable it was 10:25am. I still had lots of time and I was happy that I didnt have to rush. I sat crossed legged on the wooden, hotel room floor and began to fold all of my clothes before carefully packing them into my black suitcase. Despite the amount of time I had, I decided to phone Miss Emily while I was packing and kill two birds with one stone. The phone only rang a few times before she picked up.

"Nicole! How is it going? Why didnt you answer my text?"

"Hi Miss Emily, everything's great! But it's all a bit overwhelming to be honest. My new mentor isnt the warmest person ever but I'm trying my best!"

"Who is it? What is she like? And who is the celebrity? It's so exciting!"

"So many questions! My mentor is called Miss Jackson and she is korean and that's all I really know about her. She doesnt talk much unless its telling me rules and regulations and warnings. She's talented though, she just applies the boys makeup so effortlessl-"

"WHAT BOYS? JUST TELL ME WHO THE CELEBRITY IS ALREADY!"

Miss Emily's voice seemed to be getting louder by the word. She was clearly excited about finding out who's makeup I was doing, even though she had worked with many celebrities in the past herself.

"Calm down!"

I couldnt help but giggle at her excitement.

"TELL ME!" she begged.

"Well, It's actually 7 celebrities. They're a korean pop group called BTS, they're apparently super famous but I'd not heard of them until 2 days ago"

"Wow really! I have actually heard of them before, they're always trending on twitter, their fanbase are crazy obsessive. Im surprised you havent heard of them! Have you met the members yet? What are they like?"

"Well to be honest, they're actually really nice. I was expecting them to be  a bit stuck up considering their status but they all welcomed me and were really friendly!"

I decided not to mention the awkward encounter with Taehyung or the fact that I got in trouble for eating with the boys. I didnt want to let her down after everything Miss Emily has done for me.

"Aww I'm glad Nicole. You work so hard for your career and you really do deserve this oppurtunity."

"Thank you Miss Emily, but I wouldnt be here if it weren't for your guidance. I really do appreciate everything you do for me."

It was true. I was still shy and lacking in confidence but that's nothing compared to how I was when I met Miss Emily. She helped me to grow and I doubt that I would be where I am if it wasnt for her belief in me.

"Its your skills that have gotten you here Nicole, I've just helped along the way. You really do need to believe in yourself more."

I knew that I needed to belive in myself more but it was a sensitive subject and having someone say it so directly like that made me nervous. Suddenly, I didnt feel like talking anymore.

"I have to go now Miss Emily, I'm travelling to Germany in a few hours and I still need to pack!"

I lied. I had finished packing about 10 minutes ago, but the mention of confidence had caused a wave of anxiety to wash over me.

"Okay, good luck Nicole! I miss you! Talk soon, okay?"

"Goodbye, Miss Emily!"

I quickly hung up the phone and laid back onto the cold, wooden floor. I sighed and closed my eyes. I waited patiently for my brain to calm down and for the anxiety to float away. Hopefully it would leave as quickly as it came.