Well, thank goodness he is standing on my left. At least, he gets to see the left side of my face first, which I deem to be the prettier side.

“Youngmi…” he repeats with an unrecognizable expression. He looks serious. I’ve never seen him without a happy look so this is somewhat unfamiliar to me.

I guess the cat is out of the bag now. He’s a goddamn idol and he really can’t deny it in this current situation since the members of his group and him are wearing outfits stemming from a similar theme. I wonder how he’s going to wriggle out of this one.

“Heeeey,” I greet with an awkward grin on my face.

“Are you on a business trip?” I ask sarcastically. I just can’t help myself.

“Youngmi…” he says again with a grim tone.

Why does he keep saying my name?

“Youngmi.” This time it’s not him who is calling my name, but instead it is Hanbin voicing out, who is watching curiously.

“I’m working right now, Jackson,” I tell him plainly. I give him a rueful smile before joining Hanbin and Bobby to their designated room.

----

I don’t expect Bobby and Hanbin to just ignore what just occurred but I have to applaud them for not bombarding me with questions as soon as we get out of Jackson’s earshot.

They’re both now getting their makeup done, facing the opposite wall, but I can see their gazes burning on my back as they watch me through the reflection on the mirrors.

Even Yunhyeong cannot pretend to be oblivious to this so he blurts out, “You know they’re staring at you, right?” He glances in their direction.

“I do,” I reply, cleaning up the table from where the others finished eating.

“Do you know why?”

Of course I do. It’s the mystery regarding the relationship I have with Jackson. It’s killing them and they’re trying to dig it out of me by burning holes in my back with their gazes. Tough luck!

“I do…” I smile at him insincerely, indirectly telling him that I’m not sharing the reason with him.

“Fine,” he says coolly. “Who cares?” Obviously, he does. He walks away, mumbling something to himself.

I can’t help wondering about Jackson’s apologetic tone. Aside from lying to me, did he really do anything wrong? I already knew he is an idol. What difference does it make now that it is out in the open?

I guess the dynamics have now shifted. He isn’t just another guy. He’s a star.

I groan, confused at my position towards him in this situation. Should I be mad? Upset? What?

This time, Junhoe sidles up to me. “Pssst,” he whispers, cupping his mouth. “Do you know that they’re watching you?” He nods towards the two older boys sitting with a serious face in front of the makeup table.

I sigh. Him too? “Yes. Yes, I do.”

“I’ve only ever seen Bobby look that serious when I accidentally squashed his Pooh bear,” he admits, puzzled by Bobby’s behaviour. “For Hanbin, he usually gives deathly stares during practice sessions honestly. Never outside.” I risk a glimpse at their expressions and shiver in response. Whoa. Deathly.

“Scary, aren’t they?” Junhoe asks when he sees my reaction. “Anyway, I’m really thirsty. Can you ask for a refill for the food tray?”

I head over to the phone in the other connected room. I dial the kitchen to request for refills but to my dismay, the manager in charge apologetically informs me, “We’re shorthanded right now, Miss, what with the party and the crazy number of guests invited. If you’d prefer your refills to be quicker, you can come down to the kitchen to get it yourself. We’re very sorry to trouble you.”

Seriously? What kind of luck is this?

Ah Reum is busy picking a cap for Hanbin.

“Ah Reum, the food tray is completely depleted. I’m going to get refills from downstairs.”

“What?” She looks up from an array of caps placed on a long table. “Get the hotel workers to send it.”

“They’re shorthanded,” I say mockingly in spite of myself.

“This is a five star hotel!” she exclaims, shocked. “Are they serious?”

I nod, albeit in disbelief.

Down I go, careful to dodge any blonde haired man I meet.

Why are there so many blonde idols?

Being vigilant makes me extremely jumpy, even at the sight of a yellow strand of hair.

I even catch an idol couple making out at the end of a corridor near the kitchen. I feel tempted to pretend to be paparazzi just to freak them out but I choose the wiser path.

The reason I’m here as iKon’s stylist (also known as coffee girl) is because of paparazzi so the least I can do is to not inflict the same trouble on other people. I clear my throat loudly to announce my presence but they hardly even notice me.

I try again, this time louder.

“I don’t think they want to care,” a voice says from behind me and I shriek in surprise.

“Sorry,” Jackson apologizes, appearing from a corner. “If you saw me, I had a feeling you’d run before I had a chance to speak.”

“Damn right,” I say before I can stop myself.

“So…” he starts.

“So.” I wait for him to continue.

“Here for the refreshments, eh?” he points to a table prepared with the refills I came here for. I quietly stare at him.

“I’m an idol,” he states, shrugging. “So what, right?”

“Yeah, sure.” I shrug as well. If he wants to act like it isn’t a big deal, then I’ll reflect his attitude about it.

“I perform for a living. So what, right?”

“I know. So what.”

He begins to be frustrated by my lack of enthusiasm. “Okay, then let’s stop pretending. I know I lied. I know you’re mad.”

He’s wrong. I’m not angry. “Why didn’t you just tell me?” I ask, genuinely wanting to know. Was I that untrustworthy to him?

“Being famous… it’s hard to make real friends,” he states, suddenly grim. “It’s nice to meet someone that appreciates you for who you are – not for being someone who you might not actually be... Like the GOT7’s Jackson that they see on TV.” Finally, I see it. All the lies. All because he wanted a true friend.

My expression softens and I pat him on the arm. “I guess I get it. To be honest, I lied to you too. I’ve pretty much known you’re an idol for a while now.”

“What? Really?” He widens his eyes. “Since the beginning?”

“No, no. It was sometime after we became friends.” This claim then seems to reassure him.

He expresses regret over his lies and I brush it away lightly.

“But, wait, in the beginning, why were you all beaten up?” I remember that night clearly. He was bruised and I offered to patch him up. Feels like a million years ago.

“I was practising martial arts in a nearby gym… I kind of got carried away,” he muttered, embarrassed. “I thought I could master some moves overnight in secret but, alas, it wasn’t meant to be.” He laughs.

“It brought me to you though,” he adds gently.

I avert my eyes, biting my low lip.

“How about you?” he says, becoming vibrant without warning. “You were with iKon? Why are you with them?”

I tell him about my other job, though for a reason unbeknownst to me, I keep the Jang Hanna connection to myself. The homeless secret too.

Maybe I’ll tell him stage by stage, I think. Giving out way too much information would lead to a brain overload and that is something I wouldn’t want happening to him since he has to perform soon.

“So, in a sense, you lied to me too, right?” he says accusingly. “You told me you didn’t know Bobby when I asked!”

Oh. That.

“Well, that makes us even, now, doesn’t it?” I challenge, smirking.

----

We’re about to separate as we leave the elevator together when I see Bobby striding towards the elevator with a grave face.

“Jackson,” Bobby greets with a straight face. So Bobby knows Jackson too? The idol network is tighter than I thought it would be.

“Bobby!” Jackson puts up his hand for a high five but it doesn’t ignite any response from Bobby. As a kind friend, I reach my palm out to give him the high five he needs. “Ah, thanks,” he says, grateful at my gesture to relieve the tension.

“I’m hungry,” Bobby complains, clicking his tongue disapprovingly. “What took you so long?”

“Sorry,” I mutter, intimidated by this unusual side of Bobby. Why is he so upset?

“Well, see you later,” Jackson says as Bobby forcefully pushes me towards the room.

“Excuse me!” I snap as soon as we enter the room. “Don’t be so aggressive!”

Bobby gives me a deathly glare and I shrivel in fear.

“You must have so much fun,” he mutters viciously before pushing me aside. I limply hit the wall, stunned by his drastic change. What has gotten into him?

I watch him unwrap a burger angrily, stuffing it into his mouth.

I continue to gaze at Bobby, baffled at the anger that he targets at me originating from nowhere.

“He must be really angry,” Hanbin mutters. I look up at him, standing beside me with his hands in his pockets.

“What do you mean?” I wonder out loud.

He looks down at me due to our difference in height and frowns. “You can’t tell?”

“Tell what?”

He chuckles and throws his head back in incredulity. “No way. Don’t tell me you didn’t notice.”

Hanbin, stop spinning me around in circles! “Just get to the point,” I order him, crossing my arms across my chest.

“Why do you think he likes flirting with you?” he asks, waving his arms animatedly.

“Because he likes flirting?” I point out. Some men are born that way.

“Wrong!” Yunhyeong exclaims from my other side. “Try again.”

How am I supposed to guess? Why do people like to flirt?

Hmmm….. Well…

No.

It can’t be.

“It’s because he likes you,” Hanbin says when I am speechless for far too long. I stare at him in shock.

“You really didn’t see it coming?” Yunhyeong questions, surprised at my expression.

Wait, what?

Bobby? What? Who? I feel dizzy.