My Idol

Part 3 : Her

Today was a full day, but I enjoyed it. I got back home, arrived at our apartment, and rang the doorbell. I heard Léa's footsteps approaching, and she opened the door.

"You're back!"

"Yes, I swear, the heat outside is no joke."

"Yeah, I can see it on your face. Go take a shower and change; you're sweating so much."

"Okay! I'll do it now."

I entered my room, took off my clothes, and headed to the bathroom. Léa was right; I was sweating a lot and needed a refresh. Today, my last day here, has been wonderful. I did exactly what I wanted—walked, ate, and enjoyed the beach at sunset. Now, I'm ready to take on the world. After a refreshing bath, I put on my pajamas. Dixi came over from the balcony.

"Hey, there you are, my boy. Let's find Léa; I bet she has something delicious for you."

Carrying him, I joined Léa in the living room. She was on a video call with her fiancé, always so happy whenever they spoke. Seeing her joy made me happy, too. She gestured for me to sit beside her, so I joined her on the sofa, turning on the TV. This was our ritual—coming home, talking about our day, eating, laughing, even crying sometimes. These are the memories I'll cherish forever. She finished her call and turned to me.

"I ordered pizza and Pepsi for tonight. Sounds good?"

"Perfect," I smiled.

"Let's call Amy; she mentioned wanting to see you before your flight."

"Sure, let's do it."

She started a video call, and Amy picked up right away.

"Hey, girls!"

"Hey, bro," I waved.

"How's it going?"

"We're good, meuf," Léa replied, using the French word for "girl."

"Where's Anthony? How's he doing?"

"He's asleep; it's still 4:00 a.m. here."

"Oh, right! I'm terrible at time zones, you know."

She laughed. "Of course, I know! You're also the clumsiest person I know."

"It's sad but true," I joked.

"So, tell me, how do you feel? I can't believe you're finally making your dreams come true!"

"Shhh! You're going to wake up your boyfriend."

"Nah, we don't care; he already knows how crazy I am."
I laughed at her words.

"But seriously, bro," she continued, "I'm so happy for you. I've always been proud of you. I never doubted you, not even once. I knew you'd accomplish amazing things. Every time you'd talk about your wild but possible dreams, I knew you'd make them real. Aw, I'm just so happy! Girls, let's do a virtual hug."

Amy had always been the cheerful friend who believed in me even when I doubted myself. Both she and Léa have their own unique personalities, and I love them for exactly who they are—just as they love me for being myself.

"Don't worry, girl," Léa chimed in, "I already told her everything she needs to know—especially not to get lost along the way!"

They both laughed.

"I have a map on my phone, bro," I said, sulking a bit.

"Yes, but sometimes that thing lies," she teased.

"Okay, okay. I'll try not to get lost."

"I'm just joking, girl," she winked.

"I know," I replied with a smile.

Amy jumped back in, "So, enjoy this trip and don't think about anything except your happiness, okay? Forget everyone else—except us and your mom. You're finally going to spread your wings, so fly as far as you can. You have all our blessings."

"Thank you." I couldn't help the tears that fell at her words. "Don't worry, I'll have fun. I'll be happy."

"And now, our future Madame Johanssen!" she teased Léa. "How are the wedding plans going? Are you excited for this once-in-a-lifetime moment?"

"Of course! Who wouldn't be?"

"Me!" Amy said, pointing at herself with a grin.

"No, that's a different story," Léa replied with a laugh, turning to me. "Soa, don't be like her, okay? When you find a good guy, marry him right away. Don't wait until you're sixty!"

I laughed, "Okay, got it."

"In one month, girls," Léa said, "we'll all be together again!"

"Me too," I said.

"Me too," Amy agreed. "I miss you both so much. And hey, Ms. Solitary Queen of Singleness," she teased me, "try to bring a plus-one to the wedding, will you?"

"I'll try if he accepts," I replied with a grin.

"Alright, girls, I'll let you go now. He's probably getting tired of my voice over here. I need to make him breakfast soon, too."

"Okay, bye girl. Love you!"

"Love you too, girls. See you in a month! Can't wait to see you."

"Same! Kiss kiss!"

Léa ended the video call just as someone knocked at the door.

"Food's here!" she announced, heading over to get our pizza.

We sat down to eat, talking about our future plans. Léa shared that after her honeymoon, she planned to return here and had just renewed her work contract. I told her my plans too: after her wedding, I'd spend a couple of weeks back home with Mom before heading to my next destination. We talked for about thirty minutes, sharing our excitement for what's ahead.

When we were done, I went to my room with Dixi, lay down, and took out my phone to call my mom and tell her about my trip.

"Hello, Mama."

"Hello, my little girl"

"Are you okay? How was your check-up yesterday?"

"I'm fine; don't worry. Everything's normal."

"Good. I wanted to call before my flight tomorrow to get your blessing."

"Oh, right! Time flies. I still remember my little girl."

"Mama, I'm not a child anymore. I'm practically catching up to your age!"

Her laugh warmed my heart.

"You have my blessing, sweetheart. Live your life with joy, and remember I'm always here for you."

"Thank you, Mama. I need to sleep now .I'll see you soon."

"Ok sleep well my little girl "

After we said goodbye, I snuggled up with Dixi. "Sleep tight, little buddy. Tomorrow, a new chapter begins."

The next morning, we arrived at the airport early. I double-checked everything, even arranging for Dixi to sit beside me on the flight. When the boarding announcement came, Léa hugged me tightly.

"It's time for us to go our separate ways," she said.

"Yes, but only in distance. We'll always be connected."

With one last wave, I walked toward the gate, glancing back to see her wiping away tears. Settling into my seat, I put on my headphones and selected our song, Denise - Tsara tsara.

"Hello, world. South Korea, here I come."