Pictures of Ego

Krystal could only slouch on the couch as she sees her sister and her father practically doing yoga in the middle of the house. Somehow both of them turned into those remedies whenever they are stressed out. For one, Jessica is stressed for the diet she had to go before the undated wedding. It has been a week since their meeting with Minjun’s family and that one week turned into Jessica panicking over her weight, somehow. Minjun’s ‘kind’ words of “Seriously if you lose more weight you’re not human” didn’t exactly take the stress off her. They haven’t set the wedding date. Jessica really needs to know her priorities.

And their father is just stressed for the upcoming big event in the gallery.

A KPop event.

Who would have known that their father is an avid fan of Sistar and basically knew every KPop star since forever. It is a very weird concept but Krystal is surprised by the amount of registration coming through their mail, photographers from amateurs and professional are all gearing up for the celebrity event. From big star idols like Wonder Girls and 2PM, you would actually mistake the amateur fan photos to be professional photos. Chang Woo decided to divide it into amateur and professional works, just to build interest between the two. Comparison subject always makes a discussion and have a merrier event. Obviously, they will have to contact the celebrities themselves to sign in an agreement for the usage of photos, which would probably be the hard part.

She does know a few idols herself, thus this is a task she could help out. She is pretty excited since this is the first time she will be involved in a project for the gallery but she’s trying not to show it so much.

“Ahjussi.” Krystal heard JB’s voice outside. Her father signaled her to open the door as he concentrated to balance his posture. Krystal rolled her eyes and went to the door. She opens in, obviously ready for any kind of remark from JB. He had his sunglasses on, and came in a full suit, with his tie in his hand. “You’re not ahjussi.”

“Obviously.” Krystal lets him in. “What’s the dress up for?”

“I was the photographer for an event last night. They have a strictly suit and tie dress code.” JB slung his camera over as he took off his shoes and his glasses.

“Wow, is this Im Jaebum’s walk of shame?” Krystal wouldn’t be surprised.

“I actually meet a lot of women yesterday.” JB smirks. “But, I slept at a friend’s place instead of hooking up. I was working.  I don’t flirt and work.”

“You do that here all the time.” Krystal pointed out.

“If I’m not out on errand or carrying heavy things, I’m not working.” JB smiled smugly.

“That just proves you’re not really doing work around here.”

“And here I am in the morning, your father begging me to come here for an important meeting.” JB walked towards the living room, seeing both Chang Woo and Jessica in meditation pose. He looked at Krystal. “Did you convert into Hinduism?”

“Unnie is worried about her weight. Appa is worried about the Kpop event.” Krystal sits on the couch while JB followed her as both of them looked at the two father-daughter yoga. “They have been at it for half an hour. They should be done in 10.”

They sat in silence just looking at the two meditating father-daughter. Into the 7^th second, Jung Chang Woo looked up and slouched his body. “You know, if you guys would just not stare, that would be great.” He closed his eyes again.

“What exactly do we do then?” JB asked. “Watch TV? You are basically blocking it. I came here as fast as I could, ahjussi.” Basically he is ignored.

“He woke me up on a Saturday because he have things to tell me about the event. I’m waiting and I can stare however I want.” Krystal sat back eyeing her dad. Still no reponse.

“It kind of make me wonder what kind of thoughts they have when they’re meditating.” JB states.

“Appa is always empty headed. Obviously he doesn’t have thoughts.” Krystal replied.

“Well, that is true.” JB nodded. “Ahjussi looks like he’s sleeping.”

“Look at her. She looks more stressed than before yoga.” Krystal poked fun out of Jessica’s tense.

“How does she feel like she needs to lose weight?” JB asked, dumbfounded by women’s desire to be very skinny.

“She basically does Yoga and eat a burrito afterwards.” Krystal said.

“Yah!” Jessica suddenly yelled. “Both of you bicker a lot but now that the target is us, you suddenly joined force!” Jessica stood up. She looked at Krystal. “You! You should be helpful when you’re sister is stressed! Not pointing out every wrong things in the world about me.” Jessica turns to JB. “And you! Your fly is open!”

JB looked down and his zipper is open. “Oh .”

“Seriously unnie. Rather than thinking about diet, pick a date. Pick a dress. Do wedding things.” Krystal said and JB noted the sad hint in her voice.

“You think I haven’t think about the date! I have to wait for the priest, shaman, or whatever!” Jessica yelled again and their father just calmed her by her shoulders.

“Okay, we should let her rest a bit.” Chang Woo pulled his eldest daughter into her room. “You need a lot of sleep. A shower.” Chang Woo closed the door and looked at both JB and Krystal. “Who knew, Minjun’s family is a very religious Buddhist family. They are waiting for the fortune teller to tell them the correct date. And seems like Mrs. Kim have arranged the plan for the new apartment. To get the ‘flow’ good for… you know.”

“Okay we get it. Thanks dad.” Krystal replied in English.

“Well, I’m done with yoga. We can start this party now!” Jung Changwoo sat on his yoga mat and eyed the two younger ones. “As you see, our theme is Kpop.” He sees JB rolling his eyes. “I know you are against the theme but this is business, and Kpop brings in more business. More chaching!”

“Please stop talking like that.” Krystal replied again in English. JB chuckled beside her. Whenever Krystal is annoyed or flustered, her English button turns on.

“Right. Anyway, in our small company, which includes both of you, we need someone to get in contact with the idols for an agreement to use their image. It is still in 3 months but there is a lot work to be done.” Chang Woo said. “You two get this job.”

“Does that mean I could go to work as per usual?” Krystal asked. "Modelling industry correlates with the idol industry."

“Yes.” Her father answered. “BUT, you are going for your exams and I am not risking your academics. I have also talked to Victoria and asked for a 2 days schedule per week instead of a whole week…”

“3 days.” Krystal cuts him.

“This is not negotiable.” Her father snapped and she eyed him. “Fine 3. Plus, I called your teacher and she’ll be glad to tutor you in the weekends.”

“Seriously?” Krystal looked at her dad.

“I asked your sister, and it is the teacher you liked so that should be fun.” Her father smiled at her. Krystal sighed and nodded hesitantly. At least it is someone she preferred. “So, we have a few list already on the people you should contact so the forms is in the office and have fun mingling.”

“Well, Vic unnie knows a lot of contacts so this should be fun.” Honestly, she really didn’t befriend any idols. It was Victoria who mingles around a lot. But this is for her father so she should bear with it.

“Ah and for our JB. Jaebumie.” Somehow Jung Chang Woo looks hopeful. “We need an act for the event. You know people, you can find one. Right?”

“You called me in the morning just for that? You could have said it on the phone.” JB watched his boss. “Or on Monday.”

“And I heard Sistar’s Dasom is in the same class as you.” Chang Woo’s eyes sparkled. “You know, It would mean a lot if they come and perform in my gallery.”

“Seriously?” JB looked at his boss. “I don’t even talk to her.”

“You guys are buddies. I saw your Instagram post.” Chang Woo said. “You were drinking beer with her.”

“Dad your infatuation with Instagram is really creeping me out.” Krystal said.

“I’ll pay you double for a month.” Chang Woo lured him in. “You can buy that drone thing.”

“Then consider it done.” JB immediately said. He could use every money he could get and Chang Woo is especially generous in times like this.

“Seriously you pay him that much just to get an idol to come here?” Krystal looked at her father, blasphemous.

“No, of course not. I might be generous but I still have sanity when it comes to money.” Chang Woo laughed. What comes next is the real task. “Jaebum will be your partner in meeting the people in this list.”

“What?” JB said first.

“You are kidding me.” Krystal puts her foot down. “I don’t need him to babysit me.”

“Hold on. He’s not there to babysit. He’s just going to… monitor you.” Chang Woo said and he received a big glare from Krystal. “It wasn’t my idea I swear.”

“It was mine.” Jessica suddenly approached them off her room, somehow calm right now. “You’re still a high school student and you have zero to no experience in talking to clients. Jaebum on the other hand, had plenty. So in a way it is good to learn something off him.”

“He just flirts around. That is not even a proper conversation.” Krystal said. 

“He is cheeky. I’ll give you that.” Jessica smiled at JB which he agrees. “But Jaebum basically worked here a year going through clients after clients. He knows more than you think.”

“I appreciate the compliment. But can we please address Jaebum here.” JB raises his hand. “Why do I need to do this with her? Can’t you just give me the list and let me handle it alone. Soojung has her own career to think off.” This actually is an insult to Krystal.

“I was at the end of my high school year when appa taught me about the business of the gallery and now it is her turn.” Jessica looks at Krystal. “It’s not the rite of passage, you’re just going to learn some skills which he had acquired quite naturally. We the Jungs, we’re kind of awkward people so we actually need someone to guide us. He is basically your worst judge between us three thus until he says you are good, you’re not going to be good.”

“It is flattering you said that but I don’t think…” JB started but Krystal cuts him off.

“Fine.” She said, standing up and looking at JB. “Yah Im Jaebum. I’ll make sure I’ll do better than you could ever imagine.”

Krystal walks off to her room.

“Well, that went well.” Chang Woo said.

JB sighed as it is Monday and he have his morning looking straight at Krystal who is eyeing him when he reached the gallery. He knows she will give him hell and by the look of her tapping her feet, today may not in fact go so well. He had gone through Sunday with every ounce of fun and jamming around but Monday is here and Krystal Jung will in fact ruin every bit of fun he had.

He had seen another side of her, but his initial opinion on her is still very much intact. Krystal Jung can be a serious brat at times and JB does not bode well with that. He might be all smiles around girls but Krystal is bringing in a problem of his from the past. Anger.

“Morning.” He passed her to get to the office and he sees her father not being there. “Where’s boss?”

“He’s out to meet some photographers.” Krystal said as she sits down on her father’s chair. “I think we should start today.”

“Don’t you have school?” JB asked.

“I pick today as work day.” Krystal said.

“Then shouldn’t you be getting to work?” JB really needed time to space out his mental health for the next three months.

“I have a shoot at 11. It is only 8.” Krystal said looking at the clock. “If you are thinking of skipping work today…”

“I’m not thinking about skipping work. Just skipping any parts that have you in it.” JB sighed as he puts down his bag and sat on the desk. “Seriously, you don’t need my good natured compliment. Just go to school, do modelling and we’ll tell noona and ahjussi that you surpassed my judgement with flying colors.”

“You’re just looking down on me aren’t you?” Krystal takes offense.

“I’m really not.” JB said.

“Well, unfortunately for you, that is not happening.” She stood up and pushed the list of clients to him. “WE. ARE. DOING. THIS. TOGETHER.”

JB took the list and almost crumple it. He sees Krystal taking the car keys.

“You can’t drive.”

“But you can.” Krystal throws the keys to JB. Today will be a long day.

They set foot first in Cheongdamdong where most of the idol companies sets in. JYP. YG. SM. Cube. Starship. Big Hit. CJ. You name it. Ironically the first on the list is none other than Jung Chang Woo’s favorite Sistar. They waited in front of Starship when JB pulled out his phone to find a number.

“Here is Sistar’s manager.” JB gave the number to Krystal. “Tell him we are from Jung Gallery calling for an agreement to use their image for the event.” JB sighed. The faster she learns the faster he gets out of her grip.

“I just call?” Krystal asked.

“Yes, you just call.” JB looked at her and she looked back. “What?”

“Can you not be here? I am already awkward as it is.”

“The point of me being here is to monitor you.” JB points out but Krystal is still looking at him. “Seriously, fine.” JB opened the door and let himself out of the car. He needs to take a breather. JB stood on the curb as he looks into the car, seeing Krystal talking to the phone. Seriously how hard can it be to just talk to a client?

He looks to his phone and sees the drone he is bidding on the online shop. Someone is outbidding him and he is just frustrated. “Dude, the more you bid the more expensive it gets you .” He looks back to see Krystal finishing up her conversation. He enters the car and looks at her while she basically scrunched her nose. “So?”

“He thinks I was Sistar’s sasaeng fan and refused to listen anymore.” Krystal said and JB is just in a state of shock.

“What did you say?” JB is horrified.

“I said we have a business with Sistar and we are waiting in front of the company to seal a deal.” Krystal said bluntly. She sees JB looking at her. “What?”

“Did you do introductions?” JB left her for five minutes.

“Introductions? This is business so I just go right at it.” She sees JB dumbfounded. “Isn’t that how it should be? Straight to the point?”

“No!” JB rubs his face. “When you call a client, you want them to like you first because you want them to work for you!”

“I don’t want to kiss someone’s .” Krystal said. “And stop yelling.”

“You’re not going to kiss anyone’s . You just present yourself in a good manner so they’d actually consider to work with you.” JB looked at her, trying to calm down. It’s very hard.

“He wasn’t exactly friendly when I called him.” Krystal iterated. "And he sounds like stressed old man."

“He’s a manager for idols! Obviously he’s stressed out!” JB yelled. Krystal is taken aback by his sudden burst. He sighed heavily. “Seriously you are a carbon copy of an Ice Princess.”

“What?” Krystal looked at JB.

“Oh well, the usual ‘I don’t give a damn’ attitude or simply...” JB taps at Krystal’s nose. He’s too close for her comfort. “Rude.”

“I’m not rude!” Krystal snaps his hand away. “I’m sorry I have a resting face and I can’t help with that!” Krystal walked out of the car.

“Where are you going?” JB called out. “Yah!”

“I’m off to a schedule and I don’t need your help in doing my job. So go hang out in the gallery or whatever. I don’t need a babysitter.” Krystal left him and JB could only hold in the scream in his throat.

-

Jessica looked at pissed off JB who entered the gallery. She approached him. “Not now.” He hissed.

“It’s not even half a day.” Jessica said.

“Well, she’s rather pissing me off.” JB said as he passed by Jessica. Jessica followed him. “Noona, come on.” He pleaded.

“You’re pissed off, I get it.” Jessica stopped him from walking. “What did she do?”

“Nothing. I just… don’t like anything that is Jung Soojung.” JB said and he sees Jessica still waiting for a real answer. “Our personalities just don’t match alright. The more I spend time around her the more exhausting my life is. I like my energy not to be drowned.”

“I’ll talk to her, okay.” Jessica assured him. “Jaebum-ah. Breathe.”

“Oh nothing is changing.” JB is determined and left Jessica alone. JB went back to the store, breathing in. , he lets his anger get to him.

Krystal looked at herself in the mirror as the makeup artist brushed her face. She is still raged that JB had the balls to call her rude. She had been called just that around high school and she would have thought the people outside of it wouldn’t exactly call her that. She looked up and the makeup artist looked at her weirdly. “What?”

“If you don’t mind, turn that frown up, I need to do your brows.” She smiled. The girl is actually the makeup artist Krystal worked with for a long time. She actually work with Krystal on her first portfolio photoshoot and the photographer is also a friend.

“Hyewon unnie.” She looked at the older girl. “Am I rude?”

“In what way?”

“What do you mean in what way?” Krystal looked at her.

“Well, I am your friend so I know you’re not actually rude. You have a resting face so sometimes some people who don’t know you actually would think you’re rude.” Hyewon smiled at Krystal. “People just need to get to know you to know that you’re not actually a . You just have a resting face.”

“That is what I said to him!” Krystal said.

“Who?”

“This guy who works for my dad. He said I was rude.” Krystal sat back in her chair. “And it’s not like we just know each other, I knew him since I was 12.”

“Why would he say that?” Hyewon took the blusher.

“We basically disagree about everything. I had to call a client and went straight through it…” Krystal sees Hyewon stopped patting the blusher and just looked at her. “What?”

“Oh no, you didn’t go all American on a Korean didn’t you?” Hyewon asked.

“American?”

“Well, there is a reason why your modelling company sent Victoria unnie as your manager.” Hyewon said. “Your communication skills kind of . Okay well, it doesn’t but not so… Asian.”

“Seriously your reference is not making any sense to me.” Krystal frowned.

“Okay.” Hyewon took a chair to sit as she looked into Krystal right in the eyes. “You’re more American than Korean at times. And that attitude, while it is refreshing to the viewers, chic as we call it, it’s not exactly the route to go when you are meeting clients. I’m not saying Americans are rude, it’s just that Koreans are not exactly as forward as Americans. We have courtesy. You have to appeal to a client.”

Krystal is still looking at Hyewon.

“Listen, I don’t know how to explain to you without offending you. You are nice, a good friend, but would your company let you deal with your clients without Victoria, not a chance. People have their good traits and less than good traits. You’re just bad in communication.” Hyewon pats Krystal’s shoulders. “You can improve that though.”

“But unnie…” Krystal is interrupted by the photographer who called her for her shoot. Krystal works through the photoshoot with some kind of guilt in her. She is still adamant that JB shouldn’t have called her rude, but somehow the talk with Hyewon actually brings to her attention that yes, she in communicating with clients. She thinks ill of the industry that is full of crappy business dealers that it went into automatic that she somehow dislikes talking to those dealers that is also her client. She still remembers almost getting fired on her first job. If it wasn’t for Victoria sticking up and ended being her full time manager, she wouldn’t even be here.

Krystal walked to the car and sees Victoria talking into the phone, probably another client stacking up.

“Yes! Thank you very much!” Victoria ended her call. “Guess what! GAP! We’re doing great Soojung-ah!” She sees Krystal forcing a smile. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I just… Let’s go home.” Krystal enters the car and kept silent the whole day. She should apologize. Though her ego isn’t making it easier and she has her own pride to get to. If anything she will apologize but she will make him listen to her too. That is the simpler part to it.

Krystal enters the gallery and sees Jessica with Minjun. Jessica sees her younger sister and immediately left Minjun’s side. “Seriously, what is wrong with you?”

“What did I do?” Krystal knows this, obviously. She would say JB is a nagger but even she knows JB doesn’t nag except for salary conditions. This is all Jessica. “Why aren’t you at work?”

“She took a day off. We set a date, or somewhat.” Minjun smiled behind Jessica. “Anyway, I’ll leave you two alone. Abonim is still around right? I want to ask him about this photography thing.”

“Yeah, he’s at the back.” Jessica still has her eyes on Krystal. “Half a day and you piss him off?”

“Well, in my defense, he wasn’t exactly calm about it either.” Krystal rolled her eyes. She’s apologetic but she still has her pride. Yeah, he did yell at her for no reason. “And he called me rude.”

“Soojung ah. You do act rude sometimes. Which is exactly why I asked him to monitor you.” Jessica sighed. “He may be flirty, but he knows how to handle and communicate with a client. We both know that you lack communication skills and believe me, you can learn a lot from him.”

“Fine, fine.” Krystal didn’t want to oppose her sister. She walked away and went to their apartment, closing the door behind her and just brush everything today. She’ll apologize to the man later. She just needs peace and quiet.

Then she sees him of course lounging in her living room, eating popcorn. Their popcorn.

“When do you work really?” She had to comment on that first.

“My shift was over an hour ago. Got hungry and felt the need to watch some Inkigayo.” JB didn’t look over at her.

Krystal forced herself to sit beside him, which he scooted a bit to give her room. She hesitates and somehow grabbed a few popcorn from him.

“It’s my popcorn.” He commented.

“It’s my father’s house.” She commented.

“Right.” Silence ensues. JB watched the TV and he had a long day thinking about how he overreacted to her. He was so used to her being someone he dislikes that it blinds him to actually just at least help ahjussi’s daughter in their gallery’s business. He wanted to apologize, but his ego kind of stuck him into silence.

Fortunately, Krystal just just wants to let it all off. “Sorry bout today.” Krystal looked away. JB watched her. “I’m sorry, I know that resting face is just an excuse, and really, I know my communication skills badly. But I just…” Krystal looked down. “I don’t like people calling me rude.”

“Oh.” JB could only say that. He had no idea.

“I didn’t want to seem rude.” Krystal sees JB raising his brows. “Thing is, no one had actually taught me how to be… less me.” Krystal sighed. “When I was younger, I was never taught on courtesy, because my dad is too busy with his clients, and my sister is too busy juggling with running the house in check and going to school at the same time. A lot of the girls in school called me rude and I would have thought that identifier would be manageable nowadays, turns out I’m still sensitive about it.” Krystal looks at JB. "The industry I'm working in right now is not exactly the friendliest environment either. I always say I am the poodle to parade their stuff. With that point of view, I just brush it off the same as to idols, celebrities, which is wrong and generalizing. Now I know."

“Listen. I don’t actually think you’re rude, okay. I just let my anger get the best of me.” JB faced her.

“You don’t have to pity me.”

“I’m not, really.” JB laughed. “I actually have this anger issue when I was in high school and I do tend to get angry for no reason before. Basically I cross anyone that annoys me. I tried to stay calm nowadays, but really, both of us identify the other in a very negative way that I guess it is karma telling you something.”

“That we are both s that brings negative vibes out of each other?” Krystal offered.

“I wouldn’t put it that way but yeah.” JB smiled at her. “Let’s just start over, okay. Ahjussi would want success in this event. Even if I think it is stupid, he knows better than I do. We should do better in working together at this.”

“Right.” Krystal said. She sees JB offering her a hand shake. She takes it. He is about to get back to his popcorn when she just had to ask. “So what makes you less angry since high school?”

“I got wiser.” JB smirked but she isn’t buying it. “Okay, well, I guess I have a lot of friends who depended on me. I figured if I get so angry all the time, I can’t help them when they need it.”

“You know what is ironic?” Krystal thought of something.

“What?”

“My sister said you were the most polite person she have ever met. But you had anger issues.” Krystal said.

“I really like it that you used my past issues to disregard that I could be polite.” JB chuckled.

“No. It is kind of contradictive. When your usual self is to bicker with me, it still doesn’t contradict with you being polite. That is just because you don’t like me that much.” Krystal pointed out. “But when you said you were someone who cross anyone that annoys you, you can’t exactly be polite at that time too.”

JB shakes his head. “There is this thing called a persona. Because of who I was back then, I tried to build a persona that is different than that person. So basically I tried to be my grandma.”

“Your grandma?”

“Yeah. Halmeoni is basically the nicest, polite person you could ever meet. I liked how she approach people and she is basically my standard on how a Korean should be.” JB chimed like a child now, which is new to Krystal. He looks cute to her, which she immediately erase the thoughts.

“So you did get wiser?” Krystal looked away.

“Well, to give you credit, you are a lot wiser than I was.” JB actually complimented her. “You might be tactfully rude but you’re not so bad.”

“Seriously, the backhanded compliment is not necessary.” Krystal nudged him away. She heard him laugh at her, and she tried to suppress a smile.

She failed miserably at that.

To Be Continued