1 Haox

The cold breeze began to greet the city as December arrives, which means, Ford Collins Company has to publish their winter magazine volume. Everyone's busy in preparing for their projects, stressing out how to finish it in time before February. Papers are scattered in their desks, their desktops showing information which can help them, the calendars are full of sticky notes and their coffee machine's over-working for the past weeks.

Everyone's mind is running wild except for a single person in their office, Stella Nicholas, a cheerful and optimistic lady with a short auburn wavy hair enters the office with a smile on her face even though everyone can see her dark circles under her eyes. Some of her officemates rolled their eyes because they can't stand how happy she can still feel even though they're all in a tight time frame while the others got infected by her cheerfulness and smiled back.

"What's with that dark circles?" Lucy, Stella's officemate and friend, asks while making a circular motion with his fingers over her onyx eyes.

"Remember my project? I have to go to their album signing later and ask about the interview," Stella answered while putting her bag on her desk, "I read articles about them. Tons. I tell you. I even found myself reading fanfiction about the leader and the third member. I remember when I was in high school, I used to write a fanfic about a character from an animated movie. Gosh, it was hilarious and cringy."

Lucy rests her arm on Stella's desk and smiled, "I wish I can be as energetic as you are now. I have to go to a farm and learn about their method on taking care of their plants during winter," she said and sighed.

"Oh, that's crazy!" Stella looks at Lucy with amazement while holding a paper on her hand, "I want to check those types of project, but I'm always focused on celebrity and famous people's life. I want to see the world," Stella sighed then shrugged her shoulders then went to check the agreement for the interview she will have.

"Well, I would rather explore the weird world than to smile in front of famous garbage. I don't know how you can stand their arrogant behavior."

Since Stella came to the company, she's been working with celebrities and famous people as her project. She only had a project outside the entertainment world once and it was about a rule implemented in a town where you can't walk around using any gadgets.

"It's simple," Stella replied while her eyes scan every page of the questionnaire she created for the interview, "Explain to them that it's all part of the job. Since we're a well-known company, they understand it and before they agree on the interview, they know that our company digs deep. I do help them in some parts though especially if it's personal."

"Whatever, I think it's just your charm," Lucy waves her hand in front of her face, accepting that she can never be like Stella who luckily gets through the hell of interviewing popular people, "See you later."

Stella smiles at Lucy who walks away toward her desk. It was really hard not to have bad blood with people, but from what she remembers almost everyone she interviewed are quite nice since the company sure knows who are worth a page in their magazine. They don't publish magazines that are full of lies and made-up stories. Who would want to read a story about an actor who is an abusive husband? They'd rather send him a warrant of arrest instead of an interview agreement.

Stellar checked her watch, it's time for the album signing. Everyone around her is dead serious while typing and most are gone for work. She took a cup of coffee on her way out of the office and decided to walk to the mall where the signing is happening to kill time.

While on her way, she tried to remember what she read from the articles about the √16 Group. Who is who, who likes what, and what kind of fan fiction they usually have? She giggled while recalling the story of the Leader and the third member, it has the most 18+ genre.

Her skirt gracefully flows with the air coming above the entrance of the mall. She smiled at the guards as they check her bag. Even though she's still far from the exact location, she can hear the ladies' shrieks.

Some ladies are already on their way out holding a signed music album, their cheeks are blushing while wearing their biggest smile. The others are pushing or slapping their friends with the reddest face, some are gossiping about the pop idols.

Stella took her I.D. and wore it on her way to the signing event. Flashing cameras caught her attention which came from the front. The idols must be seated there. She saw that the line's still long and the event has an hour left. While looking around, she saw a coffee shop and decided to wait there until the signing's done.

"A green tea please," Stella told the waitress and gave back the menu.

She already had five cups of coffee last night and if she won't rest her stomach, her hyperacidity will be bothering her for a while. She picked a table beside the window to see what is going on at the event. While waiting for her order, she took out her thriller-genre-book and continued where she left off.

She already finished a whole chapter before her tea arrived but because of that, she wasn't able to feel that she's waiting for too long. "Here, Ma'am," the waitress put her order on the table and left.

She took a sip and stared at the event for a while, the line doesn't seem to shorten. Maybe fans keep on coming, hoping that they can have their idol's autograph on their albums. Stella tilted her head slightly, put the tea and book down, and rested her chin on her hand while watching some fans get in line, one after another. 'What does it feel like?' she thought while wondering if she ever had an idol before. Aside from authors, she didn't like anyone else. She never went to any book signing events too since she doesn't have time and all her books were from a thrift store.

She remembered how her older sister explained the feeling she had when she went to a signing event of her favorite singer, it was heart-pounding, blood rushing, breathtaking, mind-blanking, hand-shaking, and life-taking experience, her sister said. Stella smiled then took another sip of her tea, "How cute," she whispers to herself. After all these years, only one person made her feel that way. Her high school first love who she still can't let go of since she wasn't able to say good-bye to him properly, it's as if she's still dragging the feelings that she knows will never bloom.

After finishing her tea and a few chapters, she decided to go to the event and wait for it to end or else she might be running after the pop idol, screaming: "Wait! Can I have an interview with you?" Only to be answered by their manager with a loud and rude: "No! No interview!" Without listening to what their company can offer or do to help with their idol's career.

Stella walks around the event and stood in a spot near the table where the idols are signing. The security guards are all around the fans and the idols, pushing some girls who are starting to get weird.

Seeing the situation that her sister experienced, she decided to take a photo and sent it to her with a caption: "Look who I get to interview."

After a few seconds, her sister answered: "Wth! You lucky beast! They are the most popular idol group for seven years now! I can't believe they survive the entertainment world for that long and maintained their popularity!"

Stella smiled after knowing that her sister still likes idols, "I know, right? I was shocked to see that they've been popular for that long and it's my first time hearing about them. LOL." She replied.

Her attention shifted when she heard the fans groaning and crying while shouting the idol's names. Some little girls are already throwing a tantrum and started sitting on the floor while bawling. The idols are bowing and waving goodbye. She checked her watch and realized that they're done. She immediately spotted the manager and called his name while showing her I.D.

"Hello, I'm from the Ford Collins Company. Can I set an interview with the √16?" Stella asks with a smile.

The manager seemed to be nice, he has a small smile as he examines Stella. The idols then walk towards the manager and looked at who he is talking to.

"What's happening?" The group leader asks with a soft and low voice while approaching their manager.

Stella smiled at them softly to show a good impression then her eyes shifted back to the manager when he spoke, "Can we talk somewhere else, Miss?" he asks politely.

She nodded, "Of course, Manager Alex."

They began walking to the private room in the mall. Stella follows the manager quietly while the idols are walking behind her with some guards.

For some reason, she feels as if the people behind her are staring at her too much that she started to feel conscious. From what she heard, only the fourth member doesn't look or stare at someone which means the three might be staring at her bones now.

The manager stopped by a door which has a sign that says: 'Private,' while the guards assisted the idols on getting inside. He turned to Stella then his nice face turned quite cold.

"Ford Collins? How shameful!" The manager said in a loud voice which almost sounds like he's yelling.

Stella's breathing stops, her face's starting to burn from the unexpected embarrassment.

"After you published those rumors on your page, you have the face to ask for another interview? Don't you have any self-respect?" The manager continued talking while his veins are almost popping out of his temple and neck.

Stella stared at him for a while in confusion then she took a deep breath and frowned, "Sir, I am sorry but I do not know what you are talking about," she said in an apologetic voice.

The manager clicked his tongue and opened the door of the private room, "Look," he said while tilting his head to gesture Stella to follow him inside.

Everyone must've heard what the Manager said earlier since they're looking at her. The idols wear blank faces but you can see that they seem to be irritated with how their eyes and brows flinch. The guards are staring at her as if they're ready to devour her soul with the manager's words.

"See here, this is your page," the manager opened a laptop and went to the Ford Collins page then looked at Stella with an irritated and disappointed look. She moved a little closer to the manager to see the screen and nodded when she saw their page displayed. She's too confused to feel scared or awkward towards anyone now, she wants to know what is happening. Ford Collins is a respected company and it already helped a lot of careers especially from the entertainment industry. Never has it caused any harm to anyone. Never.

She held her bag's sling tightly between her hands, bracing for what the manager is searching on the company's page. Her forehead furrows while she unconsciously moves her face nearer to the screen. She reads the words that are being typed under her breath, "√16 is Black." She made a shock and weird face from reading such a tacky title.

After pressing search, a single post appeared. Stella looked at the manager who just gestures to read what the post is about.

"…They're bullying some co-stars… hurting fans… and… what the hell?" Stella put her hand on the table too hard, making a loud noise around the room. "Who…" she looks for the name of the person who posted it but it was someone unknown.

She took a glance at the manager then fished her phone out of her bag. After realizing what's happening, she has to report first. But it's a very weird thing since if a rumor this bad is posted by the company, there should be numerous complaints by the group's fans received and the company should've taken care of it and deleted the suspicious post.

Her manager accepted the call and she hurriedly explained everything and gave the phone to the manager to talk. While she inspects the post, a knock came from the door.