Days pass and it is the weekend again!

Jackson’s been constantly visiting me at work every night and it has surprised me how much closer we grew since the love advice. I didn’t know I was capable of having normal friends, aside from Munhee - friends whose companionship I crave for when they aren’t there.

The weekend brings a new challenge to the table.

It means two full days in the YG building, working. I chat with Da Eun while waiting for orders from Yang CEO about my task today.

Da Eun notices me in a daze, looking out the window.

It’s so beautiful up here. I take back my words about how efficient it is having an office on the ground floor – the top floor has an amazing view to compensate. I understand if the CEOs willingly would burn in a fire just to catch this view right before their death.

“You’re cleaning iKon’s apartment again,” Da Eun interjects. A flock of birds fly hurriedly past the window, reflecting my internal jumble of emotions when I hear her say that.

“Again?” I cry out, alarmed.

“Just kidding!” Da Eun jokes, surprised to see my negative reaction.

“Da Eun, stop teasing me,” I say, tired. I shake my head in a lethargic way. “It’s tiring. I’m never going to end up with Hanbin.”

The Hanbin fantasy ended as soon as it started. I kicked myself in the shin when I realized daydreaming became a new hobby of mine. It’s not worth it.

I need to be aware of my reality. Homeless. Parents in prison. Sister with emotional issues. Failing school (but improving steadily). Averagely pretty at best. Normally haggard looking. My background does not exactly make me worth an exemplar girlfriend award. I definitely do not have the right qualifications to be in the running to be a potential girlfriend for a future idol.

“Aw, poor baby,” Da Eun sympathizes, getting up to give me hug.

She’s always ready to give a hug. I’m slowly picking up on her habit and hugging random people at school who require empathy too. It’s disconcerting for other students since it is completely out of my character.  

“Of course you deserve him!” she insists, stubborn.

“That’s not the point,” I tell her briefly.

“But that’s what you’re saying.”

“Da Eun –” I want to explain further but Yang CEO breaks up the conversation when he calls me into the office.

----

My steps become heavier as I approach the meeting room.

I’m working with Jiyong today! Yeay! Let’s all skip around and sing happy songs to commemorate this. That’s how Yang CEO thought I would be reacting but he was disappointed to find me arguing with him, expressing Jiyong’s dislike for me.

“He doesn’t like me, CEO,” I pointed out, not intending to leave his office until I’ve communicated this clearly to him. “He despises me.”

“You’re exaggerating.”

“I’m not!”

He sighed.

“Never mind,” I quickly said when I realized I was acting like a spoiled child. I needed to act professional. Yang CEO is my boss, regardless of how nice he is personally. I work for him. He provided me a place to stay. “I just wanted to tell you that.”

Here I am, back in this moment. I open the door to the meeting room and find Jiyong sitting at the head of the table.

He looks up, but he doesn’t look surprised at all. He expects me then.

I go up to him, standing by for his instructions.

He gives me a onceover and comments on my appearance, “I need you to dress properly. Important people are coming for this special meeting.”

I scan my outfit from a reflection on a glass. I’m wearing a black collared shirt with matching pants. Is it wrong for me to find this outfit proper enough?

“This is my proper outfit,” I remark, puzzled.

“Change into a skirt and tuck in your loose clothes in it,” he suggests, casually.

Yes, let me just grab a spare skirt I have hidden in my pants right now and change into it. If you didn’t sense it, I’m being sarcastic. “I don’t own a skirt.”

He gives a long sigh, running his hands through his bouncy hair.

“What kind of girl doesn’t own a skirt?” he asks in incredulity.

The kind of girl who has to sleep on the streets. Wearing a skirt while lying down defenceless in an alley is quite hazardous, dirty and, not to mention, an invitation for trouble. These thoughts cross my mind but it’s certainly not something I can share with him openly.

He clicks his tongue in disapproval. “Follow me,” he orders.

----

He brings me into a room full of clothes. No way. This must be the wardrobe for all the YG celebrities. The room is littered with clothes and all seem to be branded.

I skim through the brightly coloured clothes and nervously gulp. I hope he doesn’t suggest me to change into one of these.

He goes through a rack of dress and pulls a neon yellow, sleeveless dress out.

“No, no, no,” I say, shaking my head. “I don’t wear dresses that bright.”

“Just give it a try,” he says, handing it over to my reluctant arms.

I gasp when I see the dress has a low back. “Nooooo,” I blurt out, scandalized at the idea of wearing this dress. “This is way too y.”

“Jiyong, look,” I pull his attention to me and puff out my tummy. I tighten my shirt around my stomach so that it bulges even more. “I’m fat, Jiyong. I’ll look disgusting in this dress.” What I did is gross but I’m just trying to prove my point.

He contemplates about it. He reaches his hand out to me. I try to pass the dress over to him, but he grabs my wrist instead and shoves me into a dressing room. “You better not come out unless you’re in that dress.”

“It’s a size zero!” I yell, flabbergasted. “Jiyong, did you hear me? Zero!” I stride out of the dressing room adamantly. “Did you see my tummy? My tummy itself is a size ten!”

He browses through the racks again and pulls out the same dress. “This one’s bigger.”

I check the size and laugh out loud. “Just slightly. This is a size five. Jiyong, I wear a size ten, at least.”

“Just try it on, will you?” Jiyong is getting more irritated.

Fine. If he sees how hideous I look in the dress, maybe he’ll change his mind.

I slip through the silky dress. Is this how an expensive dress feels like? I kind of like it and I will gladly wear this to bed as my pyjamas – if it is the right size. It’s really comfortable and soft though, but tight.

It hugs my curves closely and leaves nothing to the imagination.

I am getting embarrassed from looking at myself.

I open the curtains to the dressing room and Jiyong leans back, looking at me from top to bottom.

“Nice.”

“I can’t wear this,” I assert, determined to get him to listen. “I feel…violated!”

He throws a leather jacket over to me. “Wear this over it.”

I put it on and see a different girl staring back at me from my reflection.

The oversized leather jacket helps me hide my special assets better and I actually like this style. It matches me well.

I feel…beautiful.

I see Jiyong stand beside me from the reflection in the mirror, ruining my moment. He is holding a small tube in his hands.

“Here, put this on,” he says, passing over a red lipstick to me.

----

I’m not sure why I’m so well-dressed just to find myself running in heels (Jiyong chose it for me) on the streets.

I check the map on Jiyong’s phone, trying to locate the steak restaurant. Why is it so hard to find this five star restaurant?

So, the Japanese businessmen came and the meeting started two hours ago. I served them drinks, snacks and whatever they wanted. That was my duty.

What surprised me was how demanding they were. Their coffee orders were so detailed that I had to go to more than a few different coffee outlets in order to find one that could make coffees that matched their requests.

Now I’m on an errand to feed them lunch and their orders are not any less complicated. They even want different things and are obviously unashamed to order it. Some wants sushi, others want steak while the rest wants Korean food to experience the culture.

If they want to experience the culture so much, why not walk around the night market and grab some food then? The YG building has a restaurant and they’ve already prepared food for them but they rejected it! They said they ate there once and wanted to taste something new.

What a bunch of spoiled brats. I’m convinced their main aim to attend this meeting is purely to tire me out.

Regarding Jiyong’s phone, he borrowed it to me. I was running to Da Eun every time to find out the best restaurant for their specific type of food.

“Just call her,” he snapped when I arrive back in front of the meeting room breathless. “Use your phone! Why are you running so much?”

“I don’t have a phone!”

“What kind of person doesn’t own a phone?” he asks in disbelief. “Here, use mine.”

I borrow his phone without a second thought. Firstly, running in heels isn’t easy and I’m risking my safety by continuously running. Secondly, I can’t breathe heavily in this dress without it restraining against my lungs, stomach, heart – everything! Thirdly, the location of these five star restaurants aren’t exactly familiar to me. I need a map to help me around.

The phone rings and I pick it up when I see it is Da Eun calling, “I’m on my way!”

“I’ve put in the orders at the other sushi restaurant as well. Don’t forget to pick it up.”

I enter the steak restaurant and lean against the table near the entrance, utterly drained.

“Madam, can I help you?” a waiter asks. He is as fancy as I imagine fancy waiters to be. A cliché five star waiter.

“I put in an order for YG building over the phone? I’m here to pick it up,” I tell him between breaths.

“Ah yes,” he scuttles away.

I pull out a chair and take a seat.

Another waiter comes up and offers me a complimentary glass of wine. Wow. Apparently I look of legal age now. The waiter doesn’t even attempt to check my ID, but I politely refuse and ask for a glass of water instead.

The glass of water comes along with a glass of red wine beside it.

“I’m sorry, I just wanted water,” I tell the waiter, pushing the wine away.

“Ah, this is bought by the man over there,” he points out a middle-aged man sitting across the restaurant, watching me. The man gives a nod when I look at him. Um. “Enjoy.”

The idea of drinking alcohol for the first time in a restaurant like this certainly appeals to me, but I don’t do it.

The middle-aged man stands up and heads to me. I mentally try to repel him by using telepathy but he appears determined. What am I supposed to do now? I don’t have any experience on being hit on and I’m getting my first flirt from a middle-aged guy! This is horrible! I'm . Not exactly an ideal dating scenario.

“Excuse me, madam, your order is ready,” a waiter jumps in, rescuing me.

“Yes!” I take out YG's credit card and pay for the meal. I leave the premises without taking a second look back.  

I’m heading towards the sushi restaurant now and a call comes in. I assume it is Da Eun so I pick it up, declaring, “I’m heading over there soon!”

“Who is this?” a voice that doesn’t belong to Da Eun asks sharply. “Who are you?”

What the…? I glance at the phone screen, reading her name. Kiko. I don’t have time to entertain a friend of Jiyong’s.

“Sorry! I’m borrowing GD’s phone right now. Please call back later!” I tell her before hanging up.

----

I slide down to the floor while leaning against a wall.

This is so tiring. Who knew serving businessmen could tire me out as much as a marathon? I can only hope that my payment for this is fair.

I take off the heels, massaging my feet.

“You did good,” Jiyong praises me, entering the meeting room that is empty now. His expression remains indifferent. “You work better than the other girls we had.”

“Yeah?”

“Most of them get the orders wrong. You’re the first one who pleased everyone.”

It’s good to know I lost probably 5kg for a good reason. I smile, too exhausted to reply.

“I did good too,” he adds out of the blue. Does he want a pat on the back for his good work too?

I congratulate him to please him without even knowing what the cause of celebration is.

“One of them told me you looked pretty,” he says, proud. “My fashion sense pulls it off again.”

Oh. Right.

“If they saw you before I changed you, they’d definitely be shocked.”

“Alright, chill out with the boasting,” I tell him, raising my eyebrow at his barefaced behaviour.

“Here,” he hands me some documents. “Last task. Can you give this to Teddy? He’s in the recording room in level five.”

I try to stand up and realize… I can’t.

He sees my struggle and offers his help.

“I told you my size is double digits,” I inform him when the sound of dress stretching is audible. “I hope I don’t rip this thing.”

He chuckles.

“Oh, before I forget…” I pass his phone back to him. “Thanks.”

“Sure.”

“Oh…and a girl called. Kiko? Yeah, I accidentally answered the call. I hope that doesn’t create any problems,” I say, concerned. “She sounded angry.”

His expression is too forced. He tries to look cool but I can see a flicker of worry cross his face.

“That’s alright,” he assures me.

“I won’t tell anyone,” I promise him, trying to show him how sincere I am. “I’m not that kind of girl.”

----

I knock the door of the recording room.

“Come in!”

I open the door and a man whistles at my appearance. “Wow, you’re a pretty lady!” he compliments.

“Smooth,” I reply dryly. “Girls will fall head over heels for that one.” This must be Teddy.

“Love that attitude of yours,” he says as I hand him GD’s papers.

“From Jiyong.”

“Thanks. Hey, wait a second,” he says. He knocks on the window in the recording room and calls out a person from the other side of the room who, apparently, was recording. “Come out here for a minute.”

Hanbin comes out of the room.

I widen my eyes in surprise, taken aback by his unexpected entrance.

“Hanbin, look at her,” Teddy orders him.

Hanbin glances at me uncertainly and looks back at Teddy.

“No, look at her properly,” Teddy instructs. He puts his hand behind Hanbin’s head and directs his face to me. “Tell me what you see.”

What is this madness?!

I rub my neck nervously, squirming awkwardly in my dress.

“A…a…” Hanbin manages to stutter.

“Describe her,” Teddy repeats, persistent. “Rap about her beauty, Hanbin ah. Go on.”

At the mention of rapping, his nervous expression is immediately replaced by a confident stance.

“She stands there in a yellow dress,

Her hair all around in a mess,

Red lips slightly open,

Round eyes making my chest tighten,

Leather jacket keeps her warm,

But she looks cool and I want her in my arms.”

Teddy and I gape at his impressive freestyle rapping.

Teddy gives him an applause and encourages me to join him. I clap my hands along, nodding my head in amazement.

“Hanbin ah, that’s good. Those lyrics are good,” Teddy tells him, patting his back. “It can be improved upon though…but it’s better than the one you gave me. That’s the kind of lyrics I want you to write if you want iKon to debut successfully.”

Hanbin smiles shyly.

His smile.

I can’t take my eyes away. He has my favourite type of smile. A smile that looks so genuine and sweet.

“Thank you, girl,” Teddy tells me.

“Oh okay,” I say, pulling my eyes away from Hanbin’s gorgeous smile. “Yeah, sure.”

Teddy continues talking to Hanbin. I note that my presence isn’t needed anymore so I take my leave.

I’m about to enter the elevator when I hear quick footsteps from behind me.

It’s Hanbin and he puts his hand up to stop me.

We gaze at each other. His confident aura is gone, replaced by the shy Hanbin.

I avert my eyes away and so does he.

“Um…” he starts.

He pulls out his phone. My heart beats harder against my tight dress (damn, this dress! A blessing and a curse).

Then, he says, “Can you tell Yang CEO I’m meeting him a bit later than planned? I texted him, but he hasn’t replied.”

OH. Okay.

“Sure,” I nod, trying to shrug off my disappointment.

What am I even expecting from him that I feel disappointed? Stay in reality, Youngmi!

He thanks me and leaves.

----

It takes a few seconds before Yang CEO registers that I’m Jang Youngmi.

“Youngmi?” he asks again for confirmation. “Is that you?”

“Stop exaggerating,” I mutter.

“I’m not…” He gives me a onceover.

“Jiyong forced me to dress this way,” I explain.

“Ah,” he nods, but his mind is somewhere else.

I wave my hands in front of him. “Yes?” he says.

“Hanbin asks me to tell you he is meeting you later than planned. He told me he texted you.”

“Ah, right, I forgot where my phone is…” he says, glancing around. “I’ll find it later. Thanks for the message.”

I meet Da Eun and she’s excitedly sitting on her table with her legs crossed, waiting for me.

“Let’s take a selca,” she says, taking her phone out.

“What? Da Eun,” I whine. “Stop overreacting.”

“You look beautiful! We must have a selca. No compromises!” she demands bossily.

She wraps her arm around my shoulder and, even though I’m reluctant, my smile is sincere as we take a selca.

----

“You’re late,” Jimin mutters, annoyed as always. As per usual, I’m on time but he is somehow highly dissatisfied by my punctuality. “Someone left you a note.”

He passes a folded paper to me.

I can’t come tonight because I’m flying overseas. Will see you as soon as I land back home.

Jackson

p/s: It’s probably time for you to give me your number

“Who writes notes these days?” Jimin mutters under his breath. “So old-fashioned.”

I agree with him but I find the letter extremely thoughtful. I was expecting to meet Jackson and it’s nice to know that he is aware of that, thus left a note to inform me. He never fails to awe me with his considerate behaviour.

Jackson’s positivity may not be present right now but his note left me in high spirits to power through my shift.