"I'm so happy for you!"
I try to get some oxygen into my lungs as Bella squeezes the life out of me. Ever since I told her about the development in my relationship with Hyun Bin, she has repeated these same words and action too many times.
I pat her back with one hand and try to push her away with the other. "I know, you've been telling me that for the last two weeks."
She pulls away, a grin that looks like it could fill the world on her face. "I think it's finally sinking in. When you told me about it, I admit I was skeptical."
I huff and settle back in my car seat. We're in a cab, headed to town to shop for clothes. It's Friday evening. I had the day off, only because I'll be at work over the weekend working with the new group as they wrap up their promotions. Tomorrow, Bella is attending a family dinner, and she wants to look for an appropriate outfit.
She pushes my
"You're crazy," I say, looking outside the car window to the parking lot outside. It's five in the morning. Not a time I would normally choose to go to a movie theatre. But it's November 14th and I didn't expect Hyun Bin to be the kind of romantic who wouldn't let our first couple holiday together go by unobserved. "For you," he says, reaching over to wrap my scarf securely around my neck. Leaning towards me, he gives me a quick kiss. "Let's go." We leave the car and head towards the entrance. As you'd expect of a movie theatre this early in the morning, there's barely anyone around. We get our tickets and snacks from a half-asleep worker and get inside. There's one other couple settling in their seats farther below, and I realise we're not alone. Maybe this is not a totally crazy idea. Holding onto my hand, Hyun Bin leads
The last few weeks have been great in both my work and personal lives. Park Entertainment has managed to steer clear of scandals for a while now, which is a nice change from when I first joined. I've almost forgotten about my own unfortunate brush with the paparazzi and the drama that ensued on social media. Since the issue about the incident at The Daze was cleared, Fiona has also not made any attempt to intimidate me at work. That's likely because she no longer has something to hold over my head. But better than all that is my relationship with Hyun Bin. The challenges I thought would be in our way due to his social status are non-existent. I mean, of course, we cannot walk into any restaurant we want or go to the movies like every other couple. But I much prefer the date nights we have where we cook together — or where I sit and watch him cook —and the peaceful night walks we've taken several times.
"I thought we could watch the snow tonight somewhere nice by the river. But with everything that's happening... I'm sorry I couldn't take you anywhere nice." I give Hyun Bin an amused look and lift an eyebrow. "You don't have to feel bad about that. This is great too. It's nice. And I have you all to myself." Hyun Bin watches my face, and he doesn't look assured by my words. I huff and pretend offense. "What do you take me for? You must be tired dealing with those ridiculous rumours all day. I'm actually happy we're here instead. It's quiet and safe. And you can relax." He reaches for my hand and kisses the back of it. The simple gesture sends tingles up my arm. "I'm glad to be here with you too." There's a sitting area fashioned in his back garden, and that's where we are right now. With the plants, flowers, and lights around us, it seems like the perfect hangout spot
We plan to spend the weekend together but Hyun Bin has to go to work on Saturday. So I stay back at his place when he leaves. He assures me that the day won't come to an end without the rumours being put to rest. Seo Daehyun is so lucky he is going up against such a considerate rival. Maybe he knows how considerate Hyun Bin can be, and that's why he dared to lie in the first place. He must have forgotten that while Hyun Bin sacrificed himself for him and the others years back, he's now responsible for another group of artists. Therefore, no matter how much Hyun Bin wishes he doesn't have to rat him out, Daehyun is not his priority. Not anymore. I keep checking phone, waiting for updates about the situation. X Entertainment, Hyun Bin's old agency, refrains from making a statement. Social media is a battlefield as the opposing fandoms defend their respective favourite. When it gets
"Emma? Emma, are you there?"I'm unable to respond. Or think.My mother?Is this really my birth mother?How...Why...I draw the phone from my ear and hang up.The phone rings again, the same number.I don't take it.It pings with a new message and I take a look."Jennifer told me about what happened. I know this is a surprise to you, but I have something to tell you. Come and meet me here (address) at 6pm tomorrow and I'll clear everything up about your father. When you arrive, ask for Emily Larsson."I read the message over and over again.After 25 years, my mother wants to meet me? Where was she all these years? Ever since I found out the truth from Louise, the thought of her fills me with bitterness. It's t
"How did it go?" Hyun Bin asks me when I get back to my apartment and give him a call."To be honest? Nothing like what I expected.""Better or worse?"I shrug. "Neither. After everything she said, I didn't have the energy or motivation to be angry at her. It doesn't erase the fact that she abandoned me, but... The other stuff were the highlight of the night, I guess.""You sound like you need a hug right now."What an understatement.I smile. "I do, but I'll be fine."Actually, I think I can do with some alone time right now. I'm still processing everything. Then, I have to gather enough courage to reach out to Jennifer.I cannot put into words how relieved I am to find out that Dad never betrayed us. That relief is shadowed by guilt and shame.I've been wron
"What? What did you say?"Because he did not say that we should break up, right? Unless it's a joke, but why would he joke at a time like this?"It's the right thing to do."The right thing.I jump to my feet and approach him. "What do you mean the right thing? What's going on here?"What went wrong? Did I do something? Did he change his mind? What the fuck happened?"It's better for you, Emma. You shouldn't be with me."No, he's making no sense.Everything was fine."Better for me?" I grab his arm and try to turn him to me. He brushes my hand and moves away. "You're not making any sense.""I don't want you to get hurt. And you will, if you stay with me." His hand rakes through his hair. "If something happens, I might not be able to protect you."My
"I can't believe I did that." My brow is scrunched up as I stare hard at the bottle in my hand. I've just told Bella about my moment of craziness when I went looking for Hyun Bin at the office. "I must have been out of my mind.""I would have done so much worse," Bella says. "You did much better."I shake my head. "I don't know how I got to that point. God, I was pathetic.""No, you were not. You simply wanted answers.""No, Bella. I can't be the one begging in this situation. I need to be cool headed. I need to act like I don't give two shits. Like I'm sleeping fine and I'm not killing myself guessing what went wrong. I can't be desperate. It's too much.""You have every right to feel how you do, Emma. What he did is unacceptable. People break up all the time, okay. But only assholes act like this when they know about your issues. Did he think it was a joke? Like h
One Year Later "Thank you for coming. Bye, have a safe ride home." I walk back towards the entrance and heave a sigh of relief. That was the last guest to leave. The night is finally over, and as much as I enjoyed it, my legs are killing me from being on my feet all evening. Before getting back into the building, I come to a halt and stare at the shining sign above the entrance. Emma's. The smile that has been assaulting my lips every time I see that logo appears. It still feels unreal. A year ago, I never would have thought I would be launching my company today. I've spent the last year planning everything and putting together my first collection while also working for one of the biggest fashion houses in the city.
"Stop worrying," Hyun Bin urges as he closes the door behind us. We've ended up in a condo by the beach. He takes hold of my hand and pulls me to him. He cradles my face in his hands and looks at me earnestly. "Everything is going to be fine. I promise." After he explained everything during the ride over, I tried to be positive. Everything he's telling me points to a massive exposé that's going to cause ripples countrywide and clear up a lot of misunderstandings from the past. But there's a part of me that's reluctant to relax. I've watched him battle negative press time and again successfully, but it only provides temporary reprieve. When the next scandal arises, it's as if he never proved himself before. How many times does he need to prove himself before people leave hi
In the morning, my mother shakes me awake. I realise the sofa bed is pulled out and I'm covered up. When I cried myself to sleep last night, I didn't get up to pull the bed out or get a blanket. "Emma, wake up. You have a visitor." I sit up, half-confused. "What? Me? Who? What's the time?" Why would I have a visitor in Busan? I don't have any friends here. "It's six." And who on earth pays someone a visit so early? "Emma?" I stare at my mother, uncomprehending. Someone else just called my name. Someone with Hyun Bin's voice. I whip my head towards the direction of the door. Hyun Bin i
When I get to the station in Busan, I get a taxi and give the driver the address Jennifer sent me. It's an address for an apartment in Daeyeon, which has me a little confused. All along, I thought I was headed to Haeundae, where Louise lives. Unless Jennifer got a separate place. I arrive after about ten minutes and make my way to the fourth floor. I ring the bell and the door opens a few seconds later. Jennifer is standing on the other side, dressed in a purple shirt and black slacks. It looks like work uniform. She smiles at me and reaches for my suitcase. "Emma! Come in." "Thanks," I step over the threshold and walk into the room. The living room is about the size of mine, but it's a lot neater. "I didn't know you had your own place." She closes the door and comes after me. "Yes, I… Louise go
By the time we emerge from the bedroom, it's dark out and I'm starving. We plan to make dinner together, but Hyun Bin excuses himself to his study room first. I've kept him away from work for long enough, so I don't try to hold him back anymore.When he finally reappears, the spicy chicken stew I'm making is almost done, same as the rice. I'm in the middle of preparing a vegetable salad.He walks over and gives me a kiss on the forehead. "I'm sorry, that took longer than I expected.""No worries, I've got this covered."He sniffs the air. "Yeah, I can tell." I dig my elbow into his side playfully. He chuckles and moves away. "I'll set the table.""Any developments?" I ask later when we're at the table."There's a
I head to the bathroom and when I come back, I run into Hyun Bin heading into his study room. I frown and walk over. "What are you doing?" "I have to take care of some stuff." I shake my head and reach for his hand. "You've been at work all night. Did you sleep at all?" "Don't worry about me. I was an idol, remember? I've gone for days without sleep." I shake my head. "You need to rest. Dealing with everything when you're tired will only make you more frustrated." "Emma, every second I don't spend looking for who is behind all this is another second of people smearing your name all over the place." "I don't want you to sacrifice your health for that. I'm sure your team is handling everything well. Come." I
I taste the orange juice on his lips. But that's not the reason my insides are in a knot. I thought I'd never feel his lips against mine again. My eyes are closed tight, but I don't need to look to know I've caught him by surprise. I pry his lips apart with mine, giving him a soft kiss. "Emma--" "Kiss me." It's too quiet. The sound of our breathing is the only thing in my ears. He makes no move for so many seconds that I believe he's not going to. By when I'm about to pull away, his lips crash into mine. I lock out all thought from my mind and kiss him back, taking everything I can. I didn't realise how much I missed this. Not just kissing him but being thi
I make a call to Bella and let her know what's up. After that, I spent most of my time pacing around Hyun Bin's living area, waiting for him to show up. He disappeared into his study room after we agreed on what to do about the dating rumours. He hasn't come out of the room since. The company has already released a statement revealing that the song leak was an intended early surprise for the fans. Another statement noted that I'm not related to any anti-fan activities. But fans' reactions show they need more than a couple of statements to go by. Many think this is PR's way of saving the company's face. Unless they sue someone for the false accusations and reveal a motive, nothing is going to be convincing. I want to ask Hyun Bin whether they've found something on Fiona. But that's not the only thing that has me restless.
"What do you think you're doing?" I demand, fixing my eyes on Hyun Bin. "Are you okay? Did anyone hurt you?" he asks instead of answering my question. His eyes roam all over my body, as if searching for a sign of injury. "I'm fine!" I snap. I was fine before he showed up. "Why the hell are you here? You made things worse!" "There are crowds of angry fans outside your building, Emma! How exactly did I make this worse?" "I had a plan! I was going to leave, unnoticed, before you showed up and made a show of it. God knows what they're saying now." His jaw clenches. "Where were you going to go?" "Bella's." "They know about Bella's."