There are four black employees in Park Entertainment, and two are men. The third one is a middle aged woman with blonde dreadlocks. I am the fourth, and there's nowhere to hide.
"It couldn't be you, right?"
Hyunmin probably knew the answer to that even as he asked it.
I clench and unclench my hands, finding myself in an unexpected position for the second time in one morning.
"What does it say?" I ask Hyunmin because even though I'm staring at the article, I can no longer focus enough to see what's written on it.
Hyunmin draws back his phone. "Well, umh, they've refrained from providing any personal details but have mentioned that you're a new..." he pauses, scrolling down his phone. "Oh, shit, Emma. They've mentioned that you work as a designer."
Jae-in appears beside Hyunmin and gives me a nervous look. "It won't be long before the fans dig
"Just for tonight," I say as Henry brings the car to park in front of Hyun Bin's house. Earlier on, I told him I will be safe enough at Bella's, but he insisted he wanted to keep an eye on me until everything settled down. He told me he would have accompanied me to Bella's, but Yeri would be staying at his place for the time being because of the added risk in case someone came snooping around my apartment building. I eventually gave in, but only for tonight. If we're serious about keeping a personal distance, I can't be living in his house. "Don't worry, I won't lock you up in my study room this time," he jokes as he opens the door on his side. Mine opens too, and I see Henry holding it open for me. I unclasp my seat belt and step down, thanking him. Hyun Bin comes around the car and guiding me with a hand on the small of my back, leads me towards the front
@6ix4life: *he's the literal definition of careless and reckless. But who's surprised.* @justpassingby: *Cheap slut* @bemyoppa: *Stay away from oppa!* @fightformyfaves: *Park Ent. is a house of cards. It's only a matter of time before it comes tumbling down.* @parkentstan: *You guys are funny. You're forever complaining about abusive agencies and when one that actually cares about its artists shows up, you're up in arms against it.* @marrymehyunbin: *r u guys seriously wondering y p.ent kept her identity secret from the beginning? look at yourselves. they were right to do so* @chyunaotp: *she probably leaked the info herself to get attention because Hyun Bin belongs to Cho Yuna. Choke on your jealousy witch!* @hyunbinfan001: *you're above such che
"That's what we agreed on, Hyun Bin. Nothing more." His brow furrows. "So what, does that mean I cannot care for you? We are not strangers, are we?" I shake my head. "Please don't make this complicated." "I'm not complicating anything. I'm responsible for the backlash you're receiving, and I intend to see it gone," he vows. "It'll only cause more trouble," I point out. His hand rakes through his hair. "Tell me. Do you think if I don't do anything, let people run around with their make-believe tales, that you'll ever be able to redeem yourself?" "I'm a nobody. In a few weeks... Okay, maybe months, everyone will forget about me." "You really don't believe that, do you?" he asks. I know better, and he's right. If this matter doesn't get resolved, it'll always be brought up whenever a
"Your mother abandoned you at your father's house after giving birth to you. It was around the time he met my mother. His business wasn't doing so well, and mum helped him get funds to recover. It went well, mum agreed to raise you like her own, and we were happy until he forgot everything she had ever done for him."I've gone back to my seat, unable to remain standing. Nothing is making sense right now."When your mother left you behind, he lied to mum that she was a one night stand he didn't know personally. After his death, mum found he had been communicating with her and even transacted large amounts of money to her, several times. She was his lover who left him when he was on the brink of bankruptcy. Then he stupidly let her back into his life when she came crawling back after he became successful. Without sparing a single thought for the woman who had been by his side through his worst. How the fuck do you think mum felt about th
I wake up to a feeling of warm coziness. I'm in bed, tucked beneath the covers. I don't remember going to bed last night. Last night... Louise's call. Bella's call. I shoot to a sitting position, then groan instantly when a throbbing ache spreads across my head. The room is dark, so I can't see a thing. I scramble towards the left side of the bed where there's a lamp on the cabin. As I try to make my way over, my hand lands on something warm. I go still for several seconds, trying to figure what it is. I move my fingers, then scream and lurch to the other side of the bed when I realise it's a body. I end up falling from the bed, and I don't make a move to rise. Instead, I press my body to the carpeted floor, holding my breath. What the fuck? Am I still in Bella's apartment? W
When I wake up again, it's day time. The door leading to the balcony is open, and the white curtains are billowing into the house, commanded by a gentle breeze.I feel much better than when I woke up before.My phone is on the bedside cabin and I reach for it. A quick glance at the screen reveals it's almost noon. Hyun Bin must have left a long time ago, then.I climb down from the bed and head to the bathroom. I take a shower, then get dressed in a pair of sweats and a t-shirt from Bella's wardrobe.I head to the living room, planning to have a glass of water before calling Bella.I halt in the doorway when my eyes land on Hyun Bin. He's sitting at the kitchen counter, hunched over a tablet. I hurry over to him. "What are you still doing here?"He looks up, a smile lightening up his face. "Oh, you're awake. How are you feeling?"
"Have you always been so reckless?" I ask Hyun Bin as we stroll down an empty trail deep in Namsam arboretum.It's late Sunday evening, past nine o'clock. A good time to take a stroll here without bumping into someone every other second."You don't think I spend all my time indoors in fear of bumping into someone who recognises me, do you?" he asks."Well, I... I guess you don't.""I don't. I do come here often, in the evenings when it isn't crowded. I know all the trails we can take to avoid people.""Good to hear that," I say. I was against the idea of leaving Bella's apartment, much less in his company after everything that has happened. It's good to know this is something he has before.It was his idea to come to the park. Apparently, he didn't think it was good for me to remain cooped indoors after everything that transpired in the past few days. He said a breath of f
"So it's confirmed, you're not leaving, right?" Hyun Bin asks as we make our way out of the park. "You'll be back to work tomorrow."I'm just realising we never talked about that because when I found out I'd been saved from the fans' wrath, I was busy worrying about what my sister said. I agreed that I wouldn't go anywhere if he managed to solve the issue, and I guess it's solved now, but —"I haven't seen what your loving fans have to say about this," I tell him.I didn't revisit the issue after checking his sister's IG post because a part of me was afraid of coming across more negative comments. Therefore, since yesterday, I've been living in blissful ignorance, pushing my troubles to the back of my mind, binge-watching dramas, and eating a lot of snacks."Nothing bad, I assure you.""Well, then. I'll stay." After a pause, I add, "But, I don't think we should keep on with
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."