Pricked by all the attention on Taehyung and her, Eunkyung told Taehyung that she would wait in a corner while he went around finding Mr. Bang. Uncertainty passed by on his face, but he agreed and hurried off.

Eunkyung sighed. Those high heels were a real pain. She never wore such tall shoes. She glanced down at her yellow dress. Or such a revealing outfit. Taking a step back, she hoped that inside the shadows, no one would notice her.

Just her luck. A couple of girls, one seemed to be a daughter of one of the CEOs around and the other Krystal, approached her with haughty expressions. The first girl looked about her age and wore excessive makeup that glittered under the lights above. Eunkyung immediately the first girl as soon as she saw her and as for Krystal, Eunkyung already despised her false manner.

The first girl, who had on huge diamond earrings and whose hair dyed a bright red, crossed her arms and glared at Eunkyung as she stood in front of her. “Are you really Taehyung’s partner? Are you currently dating him?”

Eunkyung widened her eyes. “No, I’m sorry, but you must be mistaken. I did accompany him to the party tonight, but I am not in any relationship of that kind with him.”

Krystal scoffed, “You’re lying. Why would he suddenly bring a girl when he hasn’t had a single scandal for the last couple of years? Anyways, what are you? A minor trainee fishing for popularity or a nobody?”

Gaping at the girl, Eunkyung recoiled, as if slapped.

“She must be a nobody,” the red-haired girl laughed derisively. “I doubt she even has good connections. Seriously, do you think she’s someone who is rich enough to study abroad or inherit a company?” The girl said this in English, but Eunkyung could tell that her accent was horrible.

“You’re right,” Krystal said in English. The idol-to-be couldn’t even pronounce her r’s correctly. “She can’t even compare to me. My dad’s a famous actor and my mom’s a CEO. Why, I bet she can’t even understand what we’re saying. What a loser.”

Eunkyung had by then regained her composure. “Excuse me?” she interrupted, in perfect English. The two girls gaped at her. She arched an eyebrow. “For your information, I studied in the U.S. when I was a child. Also, listening to your accents, it seems like you didn’t have a proper English speaker as your teacher when you were abroad. Did you waste time shopping for extravagant clothes and bags with your unlimited supply of money instead of studying?” she said sweetly.

“Eunkyung!” Eunkyung felt an arm around her waist and looked up to see Taehyung staring worriedly at her. He turned to the two girls, who were still shocked beyond words. Realizing the situation, his expression changed to one of contempt.

“Hello. Yes, this is my girlfriend, Ms. Jang. I believe you’ve already met her, Ms. Jung.” Taehyung gave Krystal a short nod. “She is currently a university student as Sungjong, one of the top universities in Korea.” He let out a light chuckle. “To tell you a secret, it took me so long to be able to persuade her to come here. I wouldn’t want anything to intimidate her here, if you know what I mean.” He narrowed his eyes to make a point.

The girls murmured an apology and fled. Taehyung looked down at Eunkyung, a satisfied expression on his face. “Are you alright? That was some amazing English you spoke a few minutes ago, though I only got to hear a few words.”

Eunkyung was looking at where the girls had been standing. “You know,” she said in a quiet voice, “I’m not one of them. I’m not a popular celebrity with a giant paycheck or the heir to a huge, successful company. I’m just middle class.”

Taehyung turned her so she could face him. “You know, it doesn’t matter,” he replied in a tone equally as quiet. “Don’t listen to what they say about you. They’re just proud because they were born with silver spoons in their mouths. Their pride blinds them so they see things single-mindedly. Their pitiful goal in life is to step down on people who are not below them, but who have less money and power than them. You’re a wonderful person, and the members of the upper class who are trying to provoke you won’t change that.”

Not caring if anyone saw, Taehyung put his arms around Eunkyung and pulled her into an embrace. She momentarily hid from the glittering world around her.

Thank you, commenters and subscribers, as always!! It's because of you guys that I'm enjoying writing this story! ;D

Remember, when I get 16 subscribers, I'll upload four posts in one day (although that's going to take quite some work haha).