Chapter 1

New years’ greeting flew so fast, and by the middle month of the year, Nayeon opened up her own clothing store in which she had planned to do it all along since she majored in fashion designing. Luckily her younger girlfriend Jungyeon supported her well and Nayeon decided to make it as a partnership with Jihyo.

Nayeon was a year senior of Jungyeon back in university and Jihyo was Jungyeon’s friend since high school. After the couple’s hook up, Jihyo got to know Nayeon so well and the three of them were inseparable since. Well, with some additions with all other friends including Jihyo’s Japanese girlfriends, Momo and Mina.

“Jihyo, did you get the reply yet?” Nayeon suddenly barged in her younger partner’s office to ask. Jihyo shook her head.

The season was going to change to autumn and next would be winter. Nayeon had specially designed clothes for those seasons and it would not go on sell until the season eventually came. So firstly Nayeon planned to advertise her new designs as well as promoting her store simultaneously.

In the structure of succeeding the plan, Nayeon told Jihyo to make a deal with a famous online photographer to shoot her designs with a model Nayeon prepared herself. The photographer had made headlines in her own website with various scenes including places for vacation and many others. Since it was famous among the netizens in Korea, Nayeon would like to make a good use of that.

Besides, the older girl claimed she was a fan of the photographer because of her genius photos.

“I had sent several emails to them until it becomes a spam. It seems like they refuse to advertise our brand!” Jihyo dejectedly told Nayeon. The younger girl’s hand had supported her head. She was tired of making a deal with this kind of person. If not for Nayeon, she would already give up at the first email.

Jihyo searched up about the website after Nayeon had told her things. When she checked out the pictorials, they all looked so good and mesmerizing. They wrote articles about the pictures they took and they all received good response from the netizens. But among all of that, there’s this tiny words in italic at the very end of the articles; the photographer’s named Baby Soul.

Who the heck calls herself Baby Soul? Jihyo couldn’t bear with that kind of cringe-worthy pen name.

Nayeon had flopped herself on the chair before Jihyo’s desk. She sighed dejectedly and Jihyo suddenly felt sorry for the older girl. “What should we do?” Nayeon whined. Jihyo bit her lower lips.

Just in time when Jungyeon came in the office like a prince ready to save her princess. Jihyo couldn’t help but sighed in relief.

If only she knew the feeling was only for a short while, she would tell off to Jungyeon out from her office.

Nayeon complained to Jungyeon about her unsuccessful deal with Baby Soul. Jihyo witnessed how Jungyeon would pat Nayeon’s head to console the older girlfriend. Instead of feeling envious, Jihyo felt like puking at pouting Nayeon and cheesy Jungyeon’s words of comfort.

Out of the blue, Jungyeon’s idea popped up in her head and Jihyo felt like strangled her on the neck!

*

2 vs. 1

Nayeon and Jungyeon teamed up against Jihyo and the latter lost in their fight! In terms of physical strength, Jihyo would easily beat Nayeon and sometimes Jungyeon but unfortunately, it was a mouth fight between the girls and Jihyo just couldn’t gain victory over them! Nayeon and Jungyeon had always been so sly and full of mischievousness. Therefore they made a great pair and Jihyo’s wondering how on Earth she approved of this couple in the first place!

Truth to be told, Jungyeon came into Nayeon and Jihyo’s workplace because she wanted to fetch up her girlfriend for a date. And since the older girl’s agony bothered her too much, she proposed out her idea and that was for Jihyo to make a deal with Baby Soul face to face instead of sending emails which would never be replied.

In other words, Jungyeon made a use of Jihyo so she could have a date peacefully with Nayeon for the whole night! It was so unfortunate Jihyo’s self-conscious towered over her pride, or else Jungyeon would have been dead and Jihyo would be put in the jail! Nayeon would be forever lonely then!

The scorching sun perfectly reflected Jihyo’s heart right now. It was already in the evening, yet the sun’s hotness didn’t seem want to go away, like how the burning flame inside Jihyo wouldn’t fade.

It took her forever to be courageous, until she inhaled deeply and finally made herself inside the studio which she had stood for over maybe 20 minutes. The signboard was displayed at top outside of the two story building and it was read “Find Your Soul Studio”!

Why is this business so obsessed with the name Soul? Jihyo shook her head. The studio looked so home surprisingly in Jihyo’s eyes. Since nobody was in the 1st floor to get to her, Jihyo courageously made her way upstairs to the 2nd floor and there she met a girl probably older a few years than her. “Uh hello?”

“Yes, may I help you?” the girl or lady answered. No doubt the stranger was a beauty but Jihyo wasted no time to spazz or be jaw-dropping at the flawless look. “Are you perhaps Baby Soul?”

The lady chuckled at the mention of the pen name and shook her head simultaneously. “I’m not! Do you have any business to do with her?”

Jihyo nodded her head and she began to speak more confidently unlike earlier. “Actually, I had emailed and made a deal to meet her! Can I see Baby Soul now?” Jihyo explained partly lied.

“Oh yeah if it’s the case, I’ll call her for you now!” The lady excused herself to find the real Baby Soul and honestly although Jihyo hated to admit it, she actually was kind of looking forward of seeing the famous photographer.

While waiting Jihyo strolled around the studio and took a look at the photographs displayed in the 2nd floor! No wonder Nayeon was so enthusiastic about planning going to Turkey with Jungyeon; she had found out about that wonderful place for vacation through Baby Soul’s photos and probably read the article about how nice the place was as well.

“Did you ask for me?” Jihyo turned around from looking at a particular photo of a girl when she heard a slow speaking voice from her back.

Cutely small and petite figure! Was it Jihyo expecting too much or the Baby Soul came out looking cuter than Jihyo thought she would?

Nevertheless, this Baby Soul was attractive either way. No wonder her pen name was a Baby.

“Uh-ah yes I did. I’m Park Jihyo!” The sound came out much later than Baby Soul’s question. Jihyo was pretty much awe-struck at the person before her. Well, Jihyo didn’t actually expect to meet someone that was shorter than her aside from Chaeyoung.

“Lee Soojung!” There came the slow and cute speaking voice again. That was partly the reason what made Jihyo nervous earlier. Lee Soojung was a stiff and quite intimidating looking person, which contradicted from her cute looking outer appearances. So Jihyo had to initiate a hand shake first which fortunately was reciprocated.

“I came from Twix clothing brand. We opened our own clothing line by last June and were thinking of a strategic promotion. My partner, Im Nayeon suggested working with you to advertise our brand to consumers since you were pretty much famous with your articles and photographs online on your website. I hope we can work well together!”

Thankfully Jihyo didn’t stutter or she would smash her head on the wall at home later. However despite her brief explanation just now, the stiff looking Baby Soul or Lee Soojung didn’t show any reaction nor said anything in return.

Did she even hear what I said? Jihyo blinked her eyes at the super late reaction until Lee Soojung began speaking up. Jihyo was dying to hear her voice.

“I’m sorry but you come at the wrong place!” Ms. Soojung was ready to turn her back on Jihyo and walk away but the latter had to stop her.

“What? That’s it? Are you not going to ask why we choose to work with you in the first place?” Jihyo suddenly raged up at the unexpected cold treatment she received from the photographer.

Soojung spun around and her eyes met Jihyo’s. “You already said what made you chose us to advertise your brand and let me tell you my response; I’m not taking it!” Soojung replied the exact same way like she did earlier which shocked Jihyo more