Chapter One:  Welcome to B2ST Airline

“Well, Nguyen-ssi, your credentials are very impressive.  You’ve already had managerial experience working with unsigned artists in America and Vietnam.  You’ve graduated with excellent recommendations from your professors and employers.”

Hong Seung Sung put down the packet of papers he was holding.  His eyes went from pleasant to serious as his fingers made a pyramid on the desk.

“Even though you seem to have outstanding qualities, credentials aren’t all that matters in this business.  It matters how much you want to do this, what you’re able to bring to the job, and how much patience you have to put up with all that the job entails.  Why exactly do you want to do this?”

I sat back in the chair, my legs crossed.  Trying to relax my small frame without creasing my expensive blazer and skirt became more difficult.  I pushed my reddish-brown hair out of my face and laced my fingers together before looking up at the Cube Entertainment CEO.

“I’ve wanted to do this for years.  Even if I can’t become a singer, I really want to work in the entertainment industry.  I know that there are a lot of very talented artists out right now, and I want to help them get better in any way I possibly can.  Getting this job is probably the best way I can do that.”

As I was speaking, Hong absentmindedly nodded his head.  Lost in thought, he started tapping the pen he held in his hand.  The long pause after I finished speaking almost set me on edge.  I already knew there were at least three other people applying for the job and I’d heard they had more experience than me.  I really didn’t need this awkward silence to make it worse.

After a couple of minutes, Seung Sung looked me in my dark brown eyes and nodded his head again.

“It looks like you have your priorities in the right place. Too many applicants come in here trying to use the job as an excuse to get close to their favorite idols.  I don’t need that kind of bad blood in my company.”

I tightened  my fingers and swallowed that lump that started to form in my throat.

“You seem like you’d be a good addition to the group here at United Cube.  How soon can you start?”

My jaw dropped automatically, before I remembered who I was in front of and snapped it shut.

“I can start whenever you want me to, Hong-sunbaenim.”

“Today, if you can. The boys need to be prepared for their schedule tomorrow after they’re done with dance practice.  Until then, I’ll have Dehlia-ssi show you around the building.”

As if on cue, I heard the sound of heels on the tile floor.  I turned around to see a girl around my age walk in the office with a tape measure wrapped around her neck and a dry-clean bag flung over her shoulder, dangling by her fingertips.  I was surprised that she wasn’t like the Korean girls I saw in the reception area, She had light brown skin with her wavy hair scooped up in the back with a blue chopstick, her bangs hanging just above her hazel eyes.  She was wearing a navy blue blazer over a long, cotton dress with a cat on it, patchwork leggings, and a pair of blue pumps with a wild print on them.  Her lips were quirked into a half smirk, as if she was in a secret I didn’t know about.

“Come on, we don’t have that much time.  Dance practice is over in about an hour, and there’s a lot you need to see.”

I looked at Seung Sung-ssi for confirmation, and saw him nod his head before I actually got up and followed the girl out of the office.  I reached behind me to close the door before I hurried in my own heels to catch up behind her.  She looked over her shoulder at me before slowing down for me to get to her.

“I just need to put these away,” she said, holding up the dry-clean bag, “in the dressing room before we start the tour.  As a matter of fact, we can start there.”

We stopped at an elevator and the stylist pressed the down button.  A few seconds later, the down arrow lit up as the doors slid open.  We walked in and she pressed the button for the fourth floor.

After the doors slid closed again, she turned to me and stuck her hand out towards me.

“I forgot my manners.  My name is Dehlia Scott.  I’m BEAST’s assistant stylist.  You’re the new manager, right?”

I shook her hand.  Her fingers were painted a deep, rich purple that went with her skin tone.

“Yeah.  My name is Jinee Nguyen.”

“Nguyen, huh?”  Dehlia squinted her eyes and cupped her chin between her forefinger and thumb as if she were studying my face.  She tipped her head to the side and asked, “That’s a Vietnamese name, right?”

“Yeah.”  I paused, trying to pick the right phrasing before I continued.  “Um, I was wondering . . . are you Korean?”

Dehlia’s eyes widened as she slowly dropped her hand.  Then, her grin from before returned, wider than ever.

“Why, do I look like I’m Korean?”

Not even waiting for me to respond, she turned to face the door as the elevator slowly stopped.  She started to step out and held the door for me as I step out.  She let the door close before turning back to me.

“No, I’m not even Asian.  I’m Jamaican-American.”  She switched to English.  “A lot of entertainment companies are starting to hire more American employees.  That’s why I wasn’t surprised when I heard Seung Sung-ssi was flying people in from Jersey.”

We walked past a few rooms until we reached a blue door with a sign that said “Dressing Room/Clothing Storage Room.”  Dehlia turned the knob and we walked into what looked to me like a store in a mall.  There were rows and rows of clothing racks with designer outfits and stage costumes hanging on them.  On the far side of the room, there were two diases each with three mirrors lined up against the wall in front of them.  Nearby, there were mannequins with tape measures around them.  Along the other walls were shelves with unused outfits.  I saw more jeans, leggings, tops, dresses and shoes than I’d ever seen before at once stored in that room.

Dehlia hung the bag on the nearest rack before ping it.  I saw jackets that I recognized to be part of the outfits from the “Welcome to B2ST Airline” concert.  Before I could control myself, I let out a little squeal.  My hand slapped over my mouth as Dehlia turned back to me, raising her eyebrow.  I pulled myself back together and put on an almost bored face.

“I really like that color green.  I’ve been looking for a cardigan in that color.”

Dehlia slowly nodded her head, eyebrow still raised as if she didn’t quite believe me.

“Okay, well maybe, if we have time, we can go shopping and find you one.”

I flashed a bright smile as I excitedly bounced on my toes.  “Really?  Cool, I haven’t had the chance to go shopping with girls in so long, and I’d love to check out the stores here.”

Dehlia laughed at me, shaking her head as if she were laughing at a cute kid.

“Sure thing.  I haven’t gone shopping for myself in forever, either.  I keep going out and seeing stuff that either BEAST or 4Minute could wear, and then I report back to Shin Kot-nim.”

After putting the jackets on the rack and folding up the dry-clean bag and putting that on a shelf, Dehlia took me by the hand and walked out of the dressing room.

“It’s a mad house in there in the morning.  I hope you’ll be ready for tomorrow.”

The rest of the tour went by fast.  We went to see the stylist’s office, the coffee/break room, and the gym.  On the third floor, we saw recording studio after recording studio after recording studio.  I saw all kinds of different microphones and controls that would’ve put my modest little studio at home to shame.

We finally made it back up to the fifth floor, where the manager’s office was located.  I recognized Manager Joonkun, who helped me prepare for the interview earlier in the week, hanging up the phone at his desk.  He looked up and smiled as Dehlia and I walked in.

“So, did you pass?”

I grinned and nodded.  “He wants me to start as soon as the boys get out of dance practice.”  Which was in a few minutes.

“Great!” He passed me a clipboard as he started packing his stuff to go home.  “I knew you’d do fine.  I told you there was nothing to worry about.”

I nodded again as I remembered the long practice session yesterday and the pep talk this morning.  With all the preparation Joonkun helped me with, there was no way I wouldn’t have gotten the job.

“So, again, thank you for helping me out with this.  I promise you I’ll only be gone for a few months, and then after that, if Seung Sung-ssi and I believe you’ve done a good job, you’ll stay on as a co-manager with Jiyong and myself.  That way, there’s an easier workload between us.  Tomorrow afternoon, you’ll be talking to him about your salary.”

Joonkun bowed and said thank you probably a million times before he left.  I shook my head and giggled.  He was just too cute!

I heard laughing behind me and turned to see Dehlia sitting on Joonkun’s desk, her eyes still on the door.

“That kid . . . He and Jiyong both have their own little fan club, too, you know.  A lot of B2UTIES have little fangirl crushes on them because their so adorable.  But, I think it does have a lot to do with the fact that the fans recognize that the stylists and managers work hard, too.”

Hmmmmm.  I wondered if that would happen to me, too, and if I’d get fanboys fawning over me.  Probably not; just a lot of jealous, angry fangirls out to get me.

Dehlia checked her watch and sighed.

“Looks like your job’s about to begin.  They should be finishing up right about now.”  Dehlia stood up again and looked me dead in the eye as if she was waiting to see something.  “You ready?”

I swallowed again nervously and nodded.

Dehlia stared for a couple more seconds, then smirked.

“Don’t worry.  Whatever nerves you may have will go away pretty quickly, I promise.  Once we’re all comfortable with each other, people tend to get close pretty quickly around here.”  She passed me before she added under her breath, “As long as they can get past Jun Hyung.”

My head snapped to her and my eyes widened as I hurried to catch up to her.  What the heck did she mean by that?

She looked over her shoulder at me and burst out laughing when she saw my expression.

“Don’t worry.  They don’t bite . . . much.”

I took a few deep, calming breaths before I noticed we had stopped in front of a door marked, “Practice Room B.”  The music we’d faintly heard down the hall had stopped and now we could hear male voices coming from inside the dance studio.

Dehlia put her hand on the knob before looking at me, both brows raised this time.

“You can open it.  I’m fine.”

Without waiting another second, she swung open the door and stepped in before me.

“Boys, your new manager is here.”