Vogue South Korea, 2011

Bringing you our special edition of Korea's most influential models and catching you up on what they've been up to, what they'll be endorsing, what's in their future, and who they've been 'seeing'. Read our in depth interviews with them and catch up with your favorite models! Catch an update as new characters are introduced into the story!

Nam Rae Mi a.k.a. "The Girl With the Eyes"

We were in our studio when Rae Mi showed up, looking as glamorous as ever (and in the new fall designs for Rogue Styles we've all heard about). For those of you just tuning in, Rae Mi started her fashion domination back almost two years ago and what a roller coaster those years have been.

Interviewer: This is such an honor. I can't believe I'm interviewing you. I'm Hye Kyo, nice to meet you.

Rae Mi: (Laughs) It's nice to meet you too. I'm Rae Mi. Let's get this interview started! 

Interviewer: Always the ball of sunshine. Our readers have e-mailed us tons of questions so I hope you're ready.

Rae Mi: Of course, I always come to Vogue prepared.

Interviewer: Alright then, first question--what have you been up to?

Rae Mi: I've been doing a few runway shows for Ronan at Rogue Styles, hence the attire. 

Interviewer: Wow, Ronan Cho. Can you tell us a bit about your relationship?

Rae Mi: Sure. Ronan's the head CEO of Rogue Styles. He makes all the designs though. He has too much of a superiority complex for anyone else to take over for him. He handpicked me and two other models to be his spokespersons for his fall line. It's because of him that I'm where I am now. He's a workaholic but he's a fun guy to hang around.

Interviewer: Much different from the uptight personality rumored about him. Any offers to model overseas?

Rae Mi: A few, actually. But I'm not so sure about plane travel. For now, I just want to focus on South Korea.

Interviewer: That’s always nice. I think I’ve brought this issue up before but how do you feel about drugs? It’s been a popular topic nowadays with even some idols getting caught by police. What’s your standpoint?

Rae Mi: I’m truly against them. I mean, for medical purposes, fine. It’s for your health, right? But to use it for reasons other than that doesn’t sit well with me.

Interviewer: Interesting. We have another question from our readers. Would you date a man with his own children?

Rae Mi: Why not? I love kids it doesn’t matter to me as long as the man and I ‘click’. Having children just means opening the heart to another person.

Interviewer: Now, I have this question I've been dying to ask you. If I may?

Rae Mi: Go right ahead.

Interviewer: Is it true the Kim Jaejoong is back?

Rae Mi: What makes you think I know? (Laughs)

Interviewer: Oh, come now, Rae Mi. Give us the juicy details. We've heard rumors of you in a relationship with Jung Yunho and Kim Jaejoong. I think it's time to set the record straight.

Rae Mi: Jung Yunho was my childhood best friend, no relationship other than friendship there.

Interviewer: And Jaejoong?

Rae Mi: Jaejoong's another story all together. Maybe next time.

Just when we were getting to the nitty gritty, Rae Mi got a phone call. She had to leave the studio right away. Talk about bad timing! But when we were looking through the photos of our interview with her (the boys down at the studio were dying to see them) we all had a little shock. While our readers were going through the photos did you notice the ring on her left hand? Quite the surprise. Decide for yourselves. Vote now at www.vogue.com/Ring-Controversy. We'll have to ask her about it to be sure, so tune in to our next edition.

Kim Jaejoong a.k.a. "The One Hit Wonder"

currently under the construction of Vogue's editing staff

Jung Yunho a.k.a. "The Ex-Best Friend"

currently under the construction of Vogue's editing staff

Park Yoochun a.k.a. "The Perfect Actor"

So a couple of years ago (three years, ten Months, two weeks, six days, and four minutes to be exact) we were introduced to this man. Needless to say, we were the first to talk to him after his big break. He’s kept his humble persona since that time and has yet to grow to his full potential. Who are we talking about exactly? Well, Park Yoochun, of course!

 Interviewer:Do you by any chance remember me?

Yoochun:Of course, Hye Kyo? You’re with Vogue. It’s nice to see a familiar face every so often.

Interviewer:So you do remember. That’s always nice to hear. But enough about that, tell us a little about the projects you’ve been working on. I heard they’re very different from your past images.

Yoochun:They are . . . I hope that’s not a bad thing.

Interviewer:N-no, of course not. Please continue.

Yoochun:Sure. Recently, I’ve been discussing an endorsement plan with Ronan Cho. He was the first person to take a whole different route with my image. It was a refreshing change and although I know I’ll miss what I was before, I think this is for the better.

Interviewer: We wish you all the best with your future plans. Now, can you tell me a little about your plans on switching agencies? I’m not sure if those are just rumors, but they’ve been buzzing around the entire media. Vogue wants your opinion on the whole shebang.

Yoochun:Well, they aren’t exactly rumors. In truth, I have been talking to other agencies about switching over. Nam Agency is looking pretty good though. They’ve made the best deal so far and I have some close friends there.

Interviewer:You’re close with Rae Mi, right?

Yoochun:Yeah, she’s just someone I know I can rely on.

Interviewer:Okay, I know you have somewhere to be, but this is the last question, I promise. You’ve always been a firm believer in what is right. Your speeches at schools against abuse have been widely spread, but the reasons behind it are unknown. Can you elaborate on why you participated on that campaign?

Yoochun:I . . . I wanted to speak because I needed to be heard. Abuse isn’t something to laugh about. It’s a serious matter that isn’t taken seriously enough. It takes a toll on you emotionally and physically. No one should have to go through that. No one.

We always knew you were strong, Yoochun. You had to be in order to operate under the Shin Agency. For those of you new to the fashion scene, the agency made headlines last year when a model filed a lawsuit against the cruel acts. We truly had no idea. Keep fighting, Yoochun! By the way, what do you think about his new style? It suits him, doesn’t it? Tell us your opinion on both issues at www.vogue.com/Park-Yoochun.

Kim Junsu a.k.a. "The Unpredictable Man"

Kim Jaejoong, Kim Junsu, is there another model in the family we don’t know about yet? Apparently talent for modeling flows freely in the Kim blood-line. We were lucky enough to be invited down to his apartment, but it seems we were the only one who knew about the invite. Junsu answered the door with a sleepy look and in his pajama bottoms . . . just his pajama bottoms. Despite the mix-up, he let us in anyway.

Junsu: Sorry you had to see me like that. I swear I’m livelier when it comes to work.

Interviewer:(Laughs) Don’t sweat it. It’s not every day Vogue gets to tour the inside of a model’s living space. I’m Hye Kyo. Glad to finally meet you.

Junsu: Likewise. Let’s get started?

Interviewer:Absolutely. First question, are you single?

Junsu:(Snickers) Right to the point I see. Unfortunately, yes, I am. I need a girlfriend. Do you know any potential . . . ?

Interviewer:(Stuttering) I-I . . . n-no. Sorry, Junsu.

Junsu:No, I’m sorry. Could you possibly delete that question when you print out the full interview?

Interviewer:No can do, I have to get everything word for word.

Junsu:Oh. Well then, I’m looking for a girlfriend Vogue readers! If you see anyone that would suit me, don’t hesitate to knock on my door~

Interviewer:(Silent) I heard you were the shy type.

Junsu:I used to be, especially around girls. I never did a joint shoot with another female model until I met Rae Mi. Actually, I had a fear of women. Imagine that, a male model scared of women. It’s unheard of!

Interviewer:What caused the phobia?

Junsu:The media. Everyone was making up rumors and I didn’t know which ones to believe. I didn’t think there’d ever be a day my brother never told me his problems. We were really close since we could only rely on each other. But the day he left without a word, I was so lost.

Interviewer:But how does that relate to—

Junsu:The media said a girl caused him to leave, she deceived him and left him heartbroken. The Jaejoong I knew was always so strong-willed. I found it hard to believe there was a woman who could tie him down. (Laughs) That was amazing, but the fact that she broke him terrified me. It made me wonder if I got my heart-broken, would I end up like him?

We learn a little more every day. Who would’ve thought? Junsu, afraid of women. Is it just us or does Rae Mi get mentioned in every interview? Not that it’s a bad thing, we love the girl to death. Poll of the Day: Which male model would Rae Mi look the best with? www.vogue.com/RaeMi_CoupleTalk. See you there. ;D

Shim Changmin a.k.a. "The Arrogant Prick"

currently under the construction of Vogue's editing staff

Nam Chae Rin a.k.a. "The Scheming Aunt"

Planning to get a job in the fashion industry and don’t know the name, Nam Chae Rin? You might as well pack your bags and head home. She’s a vixen with both looks and smarts backing her. Head CEO of Nam Enterprises and a former model, Chae Rin boasts a status people only dream of achieving in a lifetime. We talked to her when we found her prowling about a photo shoot, searching for potential models. Talk about luck! Read our interview with her as we put rumors to rest and sprinkle a few more into the mix.

Interviewer: You’re in a hurry, right? Let’s make this quick then. Hye Kyo, pleased to meet you.

Chae Rin: Hye Kyo? Nice to meet you too. Go ahead, don’t be shy now.

Interviewer: I have a few questions from our readers, mind if I . . . ?

Chae Rin: No, go on.

Interviewer: Alright. So do you plan on going back to modeling any time soon? You still have many supporters.

Chae Rin: Not right now. I’m focusing on making Nam Enterprises the face of South Korea’s modeling industries. But that doesn’t mean I won’t have time for it later. I’m just waiting for the right endorsement deal to come around.

Interviewer: Wow. So can we expect to see more of you in the future?

Chae Rin: Of course. It’s not my style to be lurking the shadows. I’m not going to lie, I like the spotlight. (Laughs)

Interviewer: How do you feel about Rae Mi’s nickname for you?

Chae Rin: The Scheming Aunt? Are you going to title our interview this way? Aish, that girl is going to get it when I get back to the office. In what way am I scheming?

Interviewer: We’re . . . not quite sure. We just thought it would be a fun title.

Chae Rin: Whatever, just get on with the interview.

Interviewer: I don’t really have any more questions. Are there any rumors you’d like to put to rest?

Chae Rin: Rumors? Actually, yes. There have been a few people at the workplace assuming things about me and Young—err, Taeyang. We are not lovers, we are best friends. There’s a difference.

Interviewer: Interesting . . . Taeyang was a model too, no? Did you two have a romantic relationship in the past?

Chae Rin: No! We’re best friends! Strictly platonic!

Interviewer: Are you sure? Those people might have been on to something.

Unfortunately, our interview had to be cut short because Hye Kyo pried too much, once again. But Chae Rin’s answers kept you on your toes, didn’t they? We’re interested now. Extremely interested. Male friends, especially platonic male friends are hard to come across. For some reason, we’re just not buying it. You’ve seen their joint photo shoots from back in the day. Chemistry? There were practically fireworks exploding during that unforgettable steamy Cosmopolitan cover shoot. But what does our opinion matter anyways? So, you tell us. Are they friends or something more? Something that may never come to be or a couple waiting to happen? Vote now at www.vogue.com/TaeRin-Couple and send us your opinions on the ordeal.

Dong Youngbae a.k.a. "The Man Without Words"

We looked at our poll last night and don’t you lie. All of you voted for the category ‘a couple waiting to happen’. Since our readers think such a thing, how could it not be true? This time we’re looking for answers and who better to answer them than the man himself, Taeyang. Now for those of you that don’t know our man, here’s a quick overview. He’s best friends with Nam Chae Rin, he was a former model, he’s her right hand man in Nam Enterprises . . . oh and he has a rockin’ bod under those formal suits, don’t be fooled. We met him while he was auditioning new models and managed to get a few words out of him.

Interviewer: Hi.

Taeyang: Hi, are you all right? You seem a little tense.

Interviewer: It’s nothing. I’m just a big fan.

Taeyang: Oh. Well, it’s always nice to meet a fan.

Interviewer: . . . .

Taeyang: Are we . . . going to start?

Interviewer: Oh, right. Sorry. Well, here are our daily questions from our readers out there. We recently had a poll about Chae Rin’s relationship with you. Did you see it? If so, could you tell us your opinion of it?

Taeyang: From last month’s issue, right? I saw it. Chae Rin makes it her duty to collect every fashion magazine out there. She stocks most of them at her office. Sort of like a library you could say. I’m not really sure what to make of it but it’s nice to know there are supporters of the TaeRin couple.

Interviewer: They were right. You are sort of good at avoiding the questions. I’m assuming you’ve read a lot of our magazines and I’m curious. Did you see our special issue centered on you and Chae Rin’s controversy? What were your thoughts on that?

Taeyang: There were a couple of pictures with my arm around Chae Rin’s shoulder but that’s normal for us. We’ve been best friends for a while so skin ship between the two of us shouldn’t be a surprise.

Interviewer: Okay. Now, how do you feel about Chae Rin having boyfriends?

Taeyang: W-what?

Interviewer: Looks like we caught you off guard. (Chuckles) So how do you feel about that? Are you all right with it?

Taeyang: Yeah, fine. I’m just hoping somewhere along the way Chae Rin realizes that there are men out there who are just using her. As her best friend, I know things most people don’t know about her. She’s been cheated on a total of eleven times. I think all those men should go to hell because they’re missing out on someone great. If you’ll excuse me, I have another audition in Busan I have to get to. It was nice talking to you.

Talk about the bonds that tie us, eh? Well there’s a twist to this. For the first time, we called in a specialist in decoding body language. What she had to say was shocking. She told us, he was very genuine about his answers so it’s obvious there was truth in them but he was nervous answering them. The reason why? Dr. Glass told Vogue there was something fishy in the mix. He sounded very protective of her which should be normal but his body language was telling us there was something he hid. Very well, might I add. So we meet another mystery that leaves us all baffled. Where do they truly stand?

Romance, Drama, Angst

I do not own any of the celebrities used as characters in this story. I only own Nam Rae Mi, other original characters, and this storyline. All brand names mentioned are copyrighted to their respective founders.

To: Nickerz

Thank-you, times infinity. Your posters look amazing, I'm just glad you were able to make mine despite all your other requests. Everyone, request story posters, backgrounds, and icons from http://nickerzart.blogspot.com/. Check out her photo edits too! Thank-you again for making my posters and background.

To: mary517

Another sincere thank-you to Mary517 for her amazing character chart design. Isn't it amazing? I couldn't ask for a better one. You can request for her work here on asianfanfics. Look her up! It's worth the wait.  

1. One Better Day: MBLAQ (Opening Theme)

2. Tokyo Love Light: DJ Makai ft. Micky Yoochun

3. Speechless: Jay Park Ft. Cha Cha

4. A Friend's Confession: 2AM

5. When the Door Closes: Dongwoon & Doojoon [B2ST]

6. Reset: Super Junior (Ending Theme)

Enter the world of Nam Rae Mi and see the life behind the glitz and the glamour. Bred by world-class models, Rae Mi is expected to know in this business, the stakes are high and all it takes is a small accident for everything to spin out of control. But apart from those other purebreds, Rae Mi is a little different. She’s experienced the loss of both parents, being raised by her grandmother and away from the high life her parents had lived before. But now, she’s thrown into it once again by her deceiving aunt with immense power in the fashion industry; a former model, now turned C.E.O. of the largest export of models this industry has ever seen. She must be seeing something invisible or is simply sick in the head to believe Rae Mi can become a world-class model like her parents. Or is she? Follow Rae Mi as she learns how to walk the runway, but don’t be surprised if a sudden appearance makes her stumble. After all, what’s the life of the famous without the scandals?  

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Thinking back, she found it hard to believe there was such a thing as happiness anymore. Maybe . . . maybe if they hadn’t gone with the cliché or walked into each others lives at the wrong time things would be different now. The time would be just right, the challenges wouldn’t be chaotic; everything would start with a simple ‘hello’ and progress into something more. It would be the perfect scene—a scene they would both look back and laugh at, together. She would be on her rooftop looking down at the city lights. He’d meet her there, like he usually did for their late night talks. She’d tell him everything, without sparing a single detail. That was what she wished, but sadly, it wasn’t so. Life had other plans for them.

She took a sudden turn and he couldn’t follow. It was just how the world was. Every decision they’d made since the beginning contributed to their separation. They said love was friendship set on fire; but what happens when that fire burns out? What then? Did it mean the friendship risked to start a relationship was gone forever like the flame?