Today's Horoscope
• Virgo
Your body is asking for rest, but your heart insists on showing up anyway. Be careful today — your usual discipline may not be enough to mask what you're truly feeling inside, so don't ignore the warning signs, even small ones. Still, the universe has a soft spot for those who give so much of themselves to others. Amidst the busyness, an unexpected encounter may catch you off guard. Pay attention, as it might mean more than it seems.
Lucky Color: White
Lucky Number: 12
Third Person's POV
The days passed quickly, and now it was finally D-day for Dara's concert.
Everyone was busy preparing, Dara included.
"One, two, three, and done," the dance coach called out.
"Ahhh," the backup dancers groaned in relief, Dara among them. Some collapsed right where they stood on stage, while others just sat down, catching their breath.
They had been running through the final rehearsal for the concert.
"Well done, everyone. That's it for today. Rest up, and good luck to all of us later," the coach said.
"Yes! Fighting!" everyone said together.
They chatted a bit before heading backstage to rest. As soon as Dara arrived, Lizzie hurried over to her.
"Dara! Drink first," she said, handing over a blue tumbler covered in stickers made by fans. As they walked toward the dressing room, Dara took a sip, and Liz spoke again. "How was practice?"
"It was fine. You know I'm not really into dancing, but for the Lilies, I'll do everything I can to make them happy," Dara said cheerfully, taking another sip.
"You're really too kind," Lizzie said. "You put so much effort into practicing — you even practiced at home until you got sick," she added, worry on her face.
When they reached the room, Liz opened the door and let Dara in first before following and closing it behind them.
"What's with that face? Don't look so worried. I'm fine," Dara said, sitting down in her chair. "It's just a fever. After taking medicine, it'll go away," she added, acting tough.
That part was true, at least, it was all Liz knew about. What Dara didn't mention was that she'd been feeling heavier than usual since morning, and her head had been throbbing on and off since she woke up. She figured it was just exhaustion from her packed schedule these past weeks. Nothing she couldn't push through. Not today.
"Hayst," Liz sighed, sitting beside her. She knew that no matter how much she insisted, Dara wouldn't listen anyway. "Just — once you're on stage and you can't take it anymore, don't hide it. Tell us right away, okay?" she said, worried.
"Yes, ma'am, I will," Dara said, playful but polite.
"Hey! I'm not joking!" Liz said, not convinced, taking her hand.
"I know. I promise, I'll give a signal," Dara said, more seriously this time, which finally eased some of Liz's worry.
Then Liz remembered something.
"Oh, by the way, there are so many fans outside!" she said excitedly, showing a photo she'd taken earlier near the arena entrance.
"Really? But its still early" Dara asked, setting down the tumbler and swiping through the photos. The brightness of the screen made her squint for a second, but she brushed it off. "Ow! How fun it looks. Too bad I can't go out there. I really want to see them!" she said, disappointed.
"You can't. They'll swarm you," Liz said.
"I know! That's exactly the problem," Dara said sadly. Then something came to her.
"What if I went out there?" she asked, smiling at Liz.
"But—" Liz didn't get to finish before Dara cut her off.
"But not as Dara — as the mascot," she said, pointing to herself.
"What? Are you insane?" Liz said, shocked.
"What?" Dara said innocently. "They won't recognize me, and I can walk around freely."
"But—" Liz hesitated.
She knew it was possible, especially if Dara stayed quiet the whole time. And there was already a mascot costume set aside as a prop for the event, so that wasn't even a problem.
Liz looked at Dara, who was staring back like a pleading puppy.
"Please?" Dara said sweetly.
Liz closed her eyes and gave in. "Fine!"
Dara jumped up happily and hugged her.
"Ahh, you're the best, Liz. Thank you," Dara said, kissing her cheek.
"Yeah, yeah," Liz said, pretending to be annoyed.
"But promise me — you won't talk. They can't find out it's you," she added.
"Yes, I promise," Dara said, placing her right hand over her heart.
Liz stepped out for a moment. When she came back, she was carrying a fluffy white cat costume with a jumper-style suit.
"Are you sure about this? It's going to be so hot in there, and you have a fever," Liz said, still hesitant, helping Dara into it.
"I'll be fine," Dara said, forcing a smile. As soon as the head of the costume went on, the heat inside hit her all at once, and for a second the room seemed to sway a little. She held onto the back of the chair until it passed, before Liz could notice. "I really want to see them. Even just like this." She excitedly stated.
She tried moving around a bit to get used to it.
"Can you breathe okay in there? Can you see the path clearly?" Liz asked, guiding her through the hallway. A few staff members glanced their way, but none of them realized it was actually Dara inside.
As they neared the entrance, Liz slowed her steps, still holding Dara's arm.
"I'll come with you until the doors, at least. I don't feel right just leaving you here," Liz said.
"No," Dara said, gently pulling her arm free. "If they see you out there, they'll get suspicious right away. You know how sharp the fans are — they'll notice you hovering around a mascot and start asking questions."
"But what if something happens to you out there? What if you feel dizzy again?" Liz pressed, clearly not wanting to let her go alone.
"I'll be fine, I promise. I just need to walk around a bit, take some pictures, and come right back," Dara said, patting Liz's hand reassuringly even though Liz couldn't see her face through the costume.
Liz let out a long breath, clearly still unconvinced, but she stepped back anyway. "Fine. But if you're not back in thirty minutes, I'm coming out there myself, costume rules or not."
"Deal," Dara said, and with that, she made her way toward the entrance alone.
Alone, Dara slowly made her way down, holding a camera on a selfie stick, heading toward the open area where the fans had gathered.
There, she saw all sorts of things the fans had put together.
Stalls offered free food and drinks, booths handed out freebies, and there were sections for fan projects such as money bouquets, cakes, photo booths, standees, and more.
As she walked, everyone happily greeted the mascot. Some waved, some gave high-fives, some thought she was cute and asked for photos. Dara just went along with it, the heat inside the costume slowly building with every step, but she told herself she could rest later.
Eventually, she reached one odd-looking booth.
It was staffed entirely by handsome men, handing out clappers. Some were calling fans over who hadn't gotten theirs yet, while others inflated more on the side.
"They're so cute," Dara thought, amused at how seriously these good-looking men were taking such a simple task.
She kept walking, camera in hand, when the heat inside the costume seemed to press in all at once. Her breaths grew shorter. She blinked hard, trying to clear the haze creeping into her vision, and missed a step on the uneven ground.
She lost her balance, and the costume left her no way to correct it in time. Just as she braced to fall, someone grabbed her hand and pulled her back.
The costume made it awkward. Dara's arms flailed out to the sides while the stranger tried to catch her, but his arms couldn't fully wrap around the bulky suit. One arm barely looped around her, the other braced her shoulder, and they both stumbled, stiff and off-balance, in a clumsy half-hug.
Once they finally found their footing, both of them quickly stepped back from each other, suddenly aware of the people around them who'd seen the whole thing. A few onlookers were already smiling at the sight.
The stranger looked away almost immediately, rubbing the back of his neck, clearly caught off guard by the whole thing. Dara, on the other hand, turned toward where he'd been standing, trying to get a better look through the costume's narrow eye holes. But he'd already shifted a step to the side, and with her vision this limited, she ended up turning right into him instead, bumping her head straight into his chest.
~