I hear the ocean from far away
I walk across the dream over the forest
Your voice echos in the penthouse hallway: "Mom, the queen has arrived!". After a fashion shoot downtown for Marie Claire magazine, your uber dropped you off. Your face has been loved since 2016. Of course, this prestigious magazine books you every time.
You heard your mom shout back from further down the hallway, "I'm in the cellar.".
The first time you meet someone, you think of your beautiful mother and smile. The fact that your mother is white usually surprises them.
It was an odd phenomenon among your friends in elementary school. It was your responsibility to explain to the poor clueless Grade 1s what "mix raced" means.
"What are we celebrating?" you ask, looking at her questionably.
She examines the labels on a few bottles she's taken out, her eyes squinting in concentration. You find it amusing. Her blonde hair falls flat over her eyes. Collecting delicious wines is her thing. She doesn't see the point in going shopping or dining out when she hasn't gotten her hands on an expensive bottle of wine.
Her fondness for wine stems from her brother, who owns a highly profitable farm in Cape Town, South Africa. Your Dutch grandparents are extremely wealthy and part of the Billionaire Legacy Club in South Africa. Your mom was set to marry a prosperous farmer in Ceres, known for farming fruits like peaches, pears, and nectarines.
"Oh, Baby...I'm thinking of making you a lovely, succulent steak for dinner. Your Dad loves wine, so I'm thinking of making a nice, red wine-saturated steak," she furrowed her brow in thought.
""Whoa, hold up... since when did Dad start scoring dinner dates with you? I heard he's seeing a jazz musician. No, no, no way, Mom! Don't even think about reconciling. You and him? You're like oil and water, totally incompatible." As you scrunched up your nose, you let out a slight shudder.
Her lips are pursed as she looks at you. ""Oh, come on now, your dad and I are tight. He can see whoever he likes, and I'm cool with it—I'll be cheering him on. Nah, no chance of us getting back together. Thanks, but no thanks. He's swinging by to give me a hand with selling my dance school. I've decided to start a casting agency for kids."
""Hey, no funny business, alright? Keep that old man away, 'cause he's still eyeing that booty." you said teasingly.
'Watch your dirty mouth, girl. What's wrong with you?' she chastises you. You just chuckle at her.
"Just got back from a Marie Claire Magazine photo shoot. There's a bash thrown by Vogue tonight, so I'm leaving you with Dad. Catch you later, gotta grab a snack and hit up all my friends. Hope you had a great night!" You feel tired.
You were irked by paparazzi who mobbed you at the penthouse entrance. Your bodyguard and manager did a good job. When it comes to dating and personal space, you hate being invaded. A few days ago, they saw you having lunch with Tom Holland at a trendy restaurant.
Despite being friends, you aren't romantically involved. Now, sleazy tabloids are full of dating rumours. There is even some curiosity among your friends. Oh, jeez, can't the two of them just eat a friendly lunch. Despite his charm, he's not your type. Strangely, your type is currently unattainable even for celebrities.
A movie deal was being negotiated for you by your agent with Tom. You aren't sure if you would be interested in participating as a female lead in the future. The modelling you do is your passion, and you study Music Production online.
What your dad does for a career appeals to you, and you're interested in venturing into something similar. Visiting him every other weekend enables you and him to bond in this way. This week is his weekend. Hopefully, you'll be able to fit lunch in between your schedules. Mom was not too impressed because she wants you to keep doing what you're good at.
"Yes, I hear you too...Oh, your agent called me this afternoon to talk about the charity drive that you're launching for the middle school. That's such an awesome idea, baby...giving back to the community.".
""I used to dig my middle school days before I got into showbiz. I promised my teachers that when I hit it big, I'd hook them up with cool stuff. This is my fourth charity gig... wonder where my mom's memory went, too?" you frown. You hope she doesn't develop Alzheimer's.
"Oh! Don't be cheeky with me... I know. Just go. Oh, and your Ouma (grandmother ) called from Cape Town about your plans for your trip. Are you staying in a city hotel or going to the game resort?" She asks, raising her eyebrows.
"Yeah, definitely looking forward to those hot pools and loads of juicy grapes from my uncle's farm at the resort. Two Aussie pals are joining me, but they're still in school, so I gotta sort their tickets. My fam's their fam, you know."
As you retreat to the fridge in the kitchen, you sigh and wave at your mom. You'll be making yourself a delicious sandwich. You can walk off the calories tomorrow morning.
You treasured the place where you lived very much. There is ample cabinet space in your beautiful dark wood kitchen. There is no way anyone could comprehend why you and your mom enjoy eating so much. Food is your favorite, and you can't resist nibbling at any time of the day.
Her constant teasing makes her wish you were paired up with a soulmate who loved to eat. That's what you also hope for. Oh dear, he could not be a fatty or couch potato. You want a man who is well-built, solid, cute, and sexy like your BTS Bias. That is a hot one!! A lot like lava.
You quickly grabbed your mother's apron to avoid spilling sauce on your Chanel shirt, you being too lazy and hungry to change now, you heard your phone ring. It's Lady Gagas' ringtone. Bad Romance.
Kendell has an exclusive ringtone. Apparently, your mom doesn't like the song. The undertones of the song are nasty, she said. It's an inside joke between you and your girlfriends. Each of them has its own ringtone. Kendell always has bad luck when it comes to dating. Her goal is to steal your phone and change the lyrics.
You turn your phone to the speaker and say, "Hi Ken, what're you up to?". She has a sweet, but loud voice.
"Yo, Daya, Bella and Gigi are asking if you're coming to tonight's event. We haven't seen you in like two days. What's the deal? You're slacking on hanging out with the squad." The tone of her voice makes you grin, trying hard to appear more savage.
With a smile on your face, you said, "Hey, sweetie, I've been grinding on shoots until 10 pm the last couple of nights. I already said I'm in for tonight.". A moan escapes your lips as you munch on your salami sandwich.
"If you're moaning like that, are you with a man? " She teases. You nearly choked on that piece of bread.
""Aw, come on, seriously? Kenjenner! Why's everyone so twisted? Y'all know I'm not into that." Your voice was irritated.
Even though they are dating some of the hottest guys and you are professionally single does not necessarily mean you are open to dating.
"Come on, chill out, Daya. Gigi's cousin, my soulmate's buddy, will be there tonight, and he's psyched to meet you." You heard her laugh at the other side.
Neither blind dates nor casual hook-ups appeal to you. You would rather wait for your soulmate.
"Did you receive your gift from Yves?" she inquired.
Confusion flooded your mind as you asked, "From who?".
"I said, from the house of YSL," she repeated in an even louder voice.
Your confused voice said, ""Oh, yeah, the perfume and dress. I already thanked them for that. How'd we score those designer dresses?"
She giggles, "I guest you, Gigi, and I will get to a part of their fall-line."
""Whoa, that's awesome! My agent still needs to fill me in 'cause I've been crazy busy and couldn't call."." You drank a glass of orange juice.
"I've got my soulmate here, Toodles. See you later!" she said, abruptly hanging up. It was typical Kendall - you just shake your head in disbelief.
You were startled by another ringing. You just contemplated calling Gigi. It looks like your girls are on a roll.
Another ring tone makes you grin. Pillow talk. This is from Zayn's album. The two of them love songs.
As you clean up the counter and pack away the ingredients, you put her on speaker. Your mom is a neat freak, and she'll flip if you don't clean up after yourself.
""Hey, Gigs! How you doin' today? 'Cause I'm feeling hella famous today!" You answer cheekily.
""Hey, you've been MIA for like two days now. What's the deal? Your phone's always on voicemail, and you bailed on our coffee hang the other day. You dodging us or something?"She asked annoyed. You grinned to yourself. These girls have serious abandonment issues.
""Nah, sorry girl, been buried in work for Marie Claire, but I'm showing up for the Vogue bash tonight. Gonna make an appearance, but I won't stay long. Can't have the press catching me with eye bags big enough to hold my cell phone." It makes you snort.
"Come on, Daya...you gotta prove you've moved on. His girl's gonna be there tonight too." She said.
"That's not cool at all. I don't have to prove a thing. My thing with him is over. The real deal is for him to focus on his soulmate. If and when I'm ready, I'll move on. If I'm not as lucky as you and Kendell in finding our soulmates and being cool with it, I might think about dating. I just hope I'm not tied to someone with a red or blue string. That'd mess with my vibe." you remark softly.
You hope not to have bad luck when it comes to love. The dating is not on when you marked.
"Oh, I think we scored an invite... Why bring it up now? You probably haven't even checked your emails in a minute. Did you know Tommy Hilfiger invited us to his yacht birthday bash? My agent says he might book us for the runway or a fragrance ad again. Girl, things are looking up for us!"It sounded like she was hyped up.
You, Kendell and Gigi did a fashion shoot for Tommy a few years ago and he instantly fell in love with the three of you. He loves you as a fashion model. The fact that you and your friends are in such high demand is such a blessing. In fact, your unique features are your fortune.
"Oh, that's sweet. I'll be there, but please, don't go trying to set me up with NBA players or Rappers. I just wanna take my time and enjoy being single, okay?" you rant on.
It did not matter to her, and you know all your girlfriends don't care. It wouldn't matter if you got out of a relationship, they would still want you in one.
""Even though he's not hanging with the boys these days, Nail's still crazy about you, and he wants Zayn to keep tabs that you're single now!"!"
"Man, those guys and their hormones! What's the deal with that? My breakup hitting every tabloid made them all think they've got a chance with me. It's super annoying. Gigs, please, let's not bring it up again." It makes you so mad.
"Ok, but we will still tease you about when we saw you and Nail smootching backstage at their "Up All Night Tour" in 2012. You were almost 15 years old." She giggles at that.
It will haunt you for the rest of your life about the day Kendell caught you. In those days, she had a thing for Harry Styles, but he was such a flirt that she didn't trust him.
Nail and you get off to a good start. Despite liking him, your careers came between you. The tours and your modelling and acting careers. Besides, you've already dated and broken up with Kookie from BTS, but no one remembers it, only that you went out to eat American ice cream together years ago. Since they are now more famous, tabloids might start digging up old articles about you two to take advantage of your fame.
If your friends learned the exact details, you wouldn't hear the end of it since you'd be the girl who dated an early-debut Jungkook. Now they're becoming super-famous. Previously, he was cute, but now he is super hot. There is a rumour that he is dating another beautiful K-pop girl. Congratulations to him. Nobody knows those bunny lips lost their purity when they touched yours.
These days, you don't follow all the kpop hype.
As you walked out onto the balcony, you inhaled deeply. You gazed down on New York's buzzling streets. The memory of your unexpected meeting in L.A. made you smile. In Beverly Hills, at the Wilshire Hotel.
.........
Flashback 2015
Your mom and you headed to Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, for a fashion shoot, checking out from a top-notch five-star hotel. It was time for your return trip to New York. While settling the bill in the lobby, you stood there, typing on your phone and chatting with your Australian bestie.
As you looked up, you spotted someone incredibly familiar, taking a moment for recognition to set in. Locking eyes with your handsome ex-boyfriend left you stunned. Your jaw practically hit the floor at this unexpected encounter. He had been touring America with his band, but you never expected to meet so soon after two or three years. He looked so good among his bandmates.
After leaving his band in a daze, he strode over to confirm if it was indeed you. Now that he observed closely, he noticed you wearing shades as you stood there with a smirk.
A wide grin spread across your face, meeting Jungkook's irritation. "Hello, Oppa!" you teased, flashing a big grin.
"Hey, I'm not your Oppa!" he retorted.
You chuckled softly, amused, peeking at him through your tinted sunglasses. "Oh, but you begged your whole ARMY to call you Oppa in 'Boy in Luv'..."
His eyes widened in recognition. Locking eyes with your mahogany brown ones, he felt his breath catch. A rush of forgotten emotions swirled between you, even without physical contact.
Jungkook stammered in shock, "Z... Zen."
You laughed at his surprised expression, replying, "Yes, it's me, little Kookie."
"You... You... you're so beautiful," he stuttered.
"You're not bad yourself." Shamelessly checking each other out, he was undeniably attractive. As you caught up, his band members looked on in astonishment. Kookie was known for being shy around girls, but with you, he seemed open, relaxed, and carefree.
He was enchanted by you, old feelings of infatuation resurfacing. The affection you both felt for each other was overwhelming. Sure, you liked each other a lot, but at that age, it was just cute puppy love.
You both promised to stay in touch after this encounter, only to realize, much to your dismay, that your phone numbers had changed.
....end of the flashback...
After a speedy shower, you swiftly got ready to head out to another industry event.
At the Vogue Paris celebration for its 95th birthday, you were looking fabulous. You snagged a stunning white designer gown from one of your favorite designers. After posing for photos on the black carpet, you joined your friends inside. It was an absolute blast. The event was attended by top-notch figures in the fashion industry, including A-listers from New York's elite. You gathered around a table with your friends. Alongside Kendell, Bella, and Gigi, the cute and rising model Kaia Gerber had joined your group.
The food was amazing. They served various champagnes and fruit cocktails. When you hit up parties, you're not one to go on a drinking binge. The only time you'd sip wine is during a special dinner at home. But your pals are big on their cocktails. You've got model friends who love to go all out when they party.
At the event, you and your besties snapped several selfies and posed for the press.
Kendell and Gigi were just grinning when a seriously good-looking dude strolled over and asked you to dance. You glance at them with raised eyebrows, sensing they had something to do with this. He's very handsome, but he's towering in stature. He seems to have Italian roots. Standing there with a big smirk, you get the vibe that this guy knows exactly how he affects women. He's seriously attractive. You inhale sharply and shoot a wide-eyed look at your friends, who are trying to stifle some snickers at your stunned reaction.
Gigi smile with a teasing glint in her eyes," Erm Jimmy Garoppolo, meet Zendaya Rhimes, .one of our besties and fellow top model colleagues. Daya don't just sit there with a mouth full of teeth say Hi to Jimmy. He is one of Kendell's soulmates' best friends, and he is an NFL player. for the 49 ers and a great quarterback ...you love sports stars?"
You look at Gigi with a deadpan expression. Since when? You dated an actor and singer—you not into hardcore players of the major national leagues.
You shoot a discreetly furious look at Kendell, eyes flashing daggers. How could they?
Turning back around, you force a charming smile, take his hand, and through gritted teeth, introduce yourself once more.
"Hi Jimmy, Zendaya is the name...nice to meet your acquaintance." you smile widely. You must say he is magnificent in the eyes.
Jimmy grin and, with a side smirk, shake your small hand into his," Care for a dance...I would like to meet Kendall's and Gigi's friends. I've only heard good things about you."
You lift your eyebrows and look at your friends with a questioning gaze, then you look back up at him with a tilt in your head, " Do you now...well, in that case, let hit the floor, Jimmy."
He lifts you with one strong hand from your seat, and he took your hands tightly in his and led you to the dance floor. You look back and your giggling friends and scrunched up your nose, and mouthed," You dead!"
They laugh, and both gave you a finger wave.
Gigi giggles loudly," Oh man, she's totally fuming."
""Yeah, I hear ya! Jimmy's a giant! You should find a tall chick like Daya; she barely reaches his chin. Jimmy's, like, 6'2"." Kendell grin as she took an elegant sip of her champagne.
""Does Daya even know any NFL players? She seems clueless. Jimmy's known as the hottest football player, and that all girls adores him. Can Daya handle all that manly energy? Will she manage him? Geez, why didn't you set her up with someone less risky? Her heart won't be safe with Jimmy. He's the most sought-after player. Seriously, you guys!!!" "Bella berates the two models' friends, who just waves her off.
Kendell laughs," "She's into the Jets. Seriously, Bells, Daya's got a sharp tongue... she needs some thrill in her life. Maybe then we can score some free tickets to the playoffs!"
Gigi looks back at their cute friend dancing in the arms of Jimmy. He looks down at her with deep interest," He already looks totally into her... and my friend didn't even use her charm. I'm worried his heart won't be safe with her."
Kaia look at the dancing couple and looked concerned at the other friends of Zendaya:" Isn't Jimmy bonded to an Italian actress?"
Gigi shook her head, 'Yeah, he is. But didn't you catch those articles saying there's a lot of drama? The tabloid spilled it, all from a jealous pal of hers. She's feeling down, super possessive, and crazy protective of him. They agreed to just be buddies and stick around for each other. Now, she's labeled as Tarnished but hopes Jimmy will take things to the next level and make it real, hoping their status changes naturally. But he's not keen on going that route. He's into playing the field, loves dating around.'"
The girls looks at Gigi as if she grew another ear," "Whoa, hold up... when did you become the expert on all the juicy sports star gossip?"Kendall said, stunned.
""Kendell, your soulmate, happens to be my cousin. Even though he's ballin' in the NBA, this friend is still very close to him. He spilled the beans, and honestly, I'm rooting for Jimmy and Daya to be a thing in the future."
Bella snort"Future couple? Daya's just 20... she'll hit 21 in late October when she gets her soul mark. So how can you be sure she won't have a soulmate waiting somewhere?"
Gigi casually shrugged, flipping her silky hair away from her face with a calm vibe. She responded, "Listen, sis! Daya needs some real-life experience... with a proper guy. She needs to be in a relationship to fend off her ex. He's with someone now, but he's still hung up on her and keeps checking in. She needs some protection."
On the dance floor...
"You're something else, Zendaya... would you let me take you out sometime?" He gazes down at her, batting his long eyelashes and biting his lip in a seductive manner. You inwardly cringe and glance up at his face.
"Um... I'm swamped with fashion shoots this month, and, uh..." You furrow your brows, attempting to come up with a lie, but it doesn't come easily.
He smirks, noticing your attempt to brush him off. Women hardly ever turn him down, and this cute attempt to avoid going out with him amuses him. He'd spotted her at industry parties and celeb events multiple times, eyeing her for a while. Eventually, he discreetly reeled in Gigi through her cousin. Gigi took the bait, and now here he is.
Some fashion photographer invited him to this event to snag an endorsement deal with a big-time fashion house, Armani. He's already signed a whopping $137.5 million deal with the 49ers.
"Are you trying to blow me off, Zendaya?" he huskily asks. Your eyes widen.
"Um... n-no, I'm really booked up. I'm sure you've got a packed schedule too, with practices and matches... I'll be busy with NY Fashion Week and Tokyo Fashion Week... then I've got plans to visit family in South Africa... so there won't be time for anything else," you quickly explain.
Jimmy grins charmingly, "Well, let's make time... how about a quick lunch in between your fashion shoots? You gotta eat. I'm curious to get to know you better, Zendaya... you've intrigued me."
You stare at him in disbelief. This guy doesn't take no for an answer. You sigh. "Okay, but not this week... or this month. I'm sorry, Jimmy. It's a bit complicated right now. I just got out of a relationship, and I'm sure you have a soulmate, and I don't even have a soul mark yet... I don't want to mess with guys who are already mated, and please understand."
You plead with him. He's undeniably attractive, but you don't want any drama from their partners.
"I'm the yellow string and we're just friends... let's have lunch tomorrow, please Zendaya." He smiles genuinely into your eyes. Gosh, this guy is good-looking!
You sigh, "I've never dated sports stars before... but just for lunch and nothing more... you're not going to chase after me."
He grins, "After our lunch, we can discuss that... give me a chance. Please... you might enjoy hanging out with me, and let's see where it goes... okay?"
You nod, and you exchange business cards. After another slow dance, he escorts you back to your smirking friends who are dancing to a track chosen by the DJ.
Kendell and Gigi pull Kaia onto the dance floor, meeting you halfway. They wink at Jimmy, who smiles at you and heads over to his friends.
Kendell enthusiastically shouts, "Let's go, Daya, this song's my jam!"
Gigi pulls you in close, elbowing you gently, and grins, "Come spill the beans to your big sis, about that date with the mega-rich footballer."
You shake your head at your playful friends and happily join them on the dance floor.
A/N Another very long chapter update for all my superstar Jk-stans. Enjoy. Don't forget to vote and comment a lot. I love to engage with you so, don't be a shadow reader.
A shout out to all the commenters and new accounts
@Athena1414 @user00036952@GiraffeTales@Devil-Queen2001 @winter-hia
And a shout out to all those who added the book to their readers' lists.
Question: Do you think our Kookie will be able to compete against Jimmy, the QB player, for his soulmate's heart. What do you think he must do?