Prologue

"Things Aren't Always As They Appear" -Bittersweet Excerpt

∞

              "Aish . . . after being in the business for two years, I'm somehow back here," mumbled Rae Mi.

              Oddly, she'd found herself back after all these years. She didn't recall why she used to visit this place, but she did admit it set her at ease. The park was strangely empty today, contrary to the hoards of people that used to litter around on the weekend. Rae Mi slouched into the wooden park bench—not the way a proper model would've conducted them self in public but she didn't care, her job was already pushing her limits. Don’t get her wrong, she absolutely adored her job. Not many people could say they modeled for a living. It had its ups and downs, but overall it was more than satisfying.

              "Hey, get the hell off my park bench, commoner."

              Rae Mi's eyes snapped open at the sudden intrusion of her peaceful silence.

              'Who the fuc—'

              "Are you deaf? I said, get off my bench!"

              Rae Mi scowled and gathered her belongings, prepared to move, when she noticed something strange about the voice ordering her about.

              "I'm a commoner?! What does that make you, you dumb hobo?!"

              "I've slept on this bench before. Therefore, I claim possession of it. If you want, you can own that one," the man in ratty clothes scoffed, "I don't think anyone has slept on that one."

              "It's a park bench! For the public's use?” she argued. “Damn, you people are so possessive!"

              "If I don't recall, orange girl, you were the one who stated those terms."

              "Orange girl?! Who—" Rae Mi paused to get a good look at him. "Is that you smiling bum?"

              She had the urge to hug him, but she quickly pushed those thoughts away. It had been a little over three months since she had last seen him. There were a few instances she thought she saw him meandering around the city, but that could've been any bum (they all dressed hauntingly similar). Now that she could distinctly see him in front of her, she just knew. The poor man had always been smiling, even though he didn't have a job, money, or a family—from what she knew. Right now, all she wanted to know was why he was suddenly back here too and at the same time she had chosen to return? It couldn't have been a coincidence.

              "Why are you—"

              "No, the question is—why are you?"

              "Eh?"

              "You," he pointed at her accusingly, "the last time you came by, you couldn’t finish what you started. Are you back because you've given up again?"

              "N-no, I just don't remember why I decided on that goal in the first place,” she said. She carelessly tossed her belongings to her right and went on sulking in her own misery. The man next to her rolled his eyes. Typical Rae Mi, she never really thought things through.

             "You're lost then?"

              "I think so . . ." she trailed off, hoping he’d catch her hint. It had been a while since she’d asked for advice from him. It wouldn’t hurt.

              "Well, if you're expecting directions, I don't have a map like last time.” The corners of his lips rose to a smile under the thin fabric of his scarf. This girl was too easy to read.

             "But you helped me before—"

             "—because I knew what you were going through. I don't have a clue this time. I'm not a model."

             "Ugh, nothing is the same anymore: Auntie's becoming soft, I don’t know where my relationship with him stands, and my smiling-advice-giving-hobo no longer gives advice." His eyebrow rose at the last statement. How did she know he was smiling all this time—he had always made sure to wear a scarf. She must’ve mistaken him for someone else.

             "I suddenly recall why I hated coming here. I'm going, Nam Rae Mi."

             "W-wait, you're really not going to give me any advice?"

             "No, I think you'll figure it out on your own," he smiled faintly. "Just . . . rememberthe view."

             Rae Mi's eyes dilated as she watched the man's back retreat into the trees.

             ". . . I'm not a model . . ."

             ". . . Remember the view . . ."

             "When did I tell him I was a model? And who told him about the view? No one outside my family knows about it except for—“

              Her jaw dropped, then snapped back shut as she noticed the 'smiling bum' had turned around again. His scarf had been unwound from his neck, revealing the porcelain skin of his jaw line and the dip of his firm chest. The man smirked at Rae Mi's surprise before resuming his brisk walk away from her.

               "Isn’t that . . . ?”

Chapter One

“Face the Truth”- Portfolio One

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Profile Submitted By: Unknown

Name: Nam Rae Mi

Age: 20

Date of Birth: December 12, 1990

Country of Origin: South Korea

Experience: None

Other Information: Daughter of Nam Soo Mi and Nam Shin Woo. Shows potential as a model. Seems to possess all the traits of her parents; the reincarnation of her mother, with the exception of her father’s eyes. She currently resides in Japan with her grandmother and attends Fuzuoka Community College. Former childhood friends with current model—

Whack!

                “Was this all the information you could find on her? I could find more on Google or better yet, Facebook! Get out! You, instead of flirting with my female employees, find me some useful information on this girl!”

                Lee Chae Rin slammed her office door shut, absolutely livid. Outside, workers looked unphased by her angry behavior. They carried on with their assignments, ignoring her furious rambling. This happened everyday when a new potential model was found. The lady was known for firing her secretaries and getting a new one every week, but that wasn’t all she was known for. She held a high ranking, respected position in the fashion world, which was why the others would put up with her. It was the only reason they’d put up with her. Chae Rin harshly yanked the wireless phone off its receiver and tapped her fingers on her expensive black marble desk, waiting for the front desk to pick up.

                “Yes?” the employee muttered, annoyed.

                “Yah! Who told you to laze around down there? If you’re not doing your job I could replace you in a heartbeat,” she spat.

                “I-I’m sorry, Miss Lee. What can I do for you?” she squeaked.

                “I need you to find me a new assistant. Set up flyers for job interviews today. I don’t want another idiot who can’t find me any information.”

                “Y-yes, of course, Miss. Is there anything else?”

                “No . . . hmmm. On second thought, send Youngbae— uh, send Taeyang up here, we have some matters to discuss.”

                “Alright, I’ll send him up. He’s been down in the lobby talking to some people looking for a CF model and he’s been asking about you every three minutes. It must be nice to be dating someone like him. How long have you been dating?” she thoughtlessly asked, this was her chance. A little up to the boss could only benefit her.

                It was a big mistake on her part.

                “One; don’t ask about my personal life, ever. Two; YOU’RE FIRED! WE’RE NOT LOVERS YOU IMBECILE! GET OUT OF MY BUILDING!”

                She slammed the phone down and ran her fingers through her hair, slumping into her office seat. How could she think that? Everyone needed to stay out of her business. Youngbae and her had nothing going on. They were just colleagues, fellow employees working in the same field. She lightly touched her cheeks when she came to realize they were burning with a thick blush. Stupid employees, she would have to have a word with whoever had been hiring these bimbos. They obviously needed to be searched for proper common sense. A knock came from the other side of her office door.

                “Hey, you called?” A handsome man asked, cautiously stepping into the room. He took note of the impossible stacks of papers covering her office floor. Ever since business had picked up, she had been locked up in this prison slaving away at new contracts and keeping a close eye on their competitors.

                “Yeah, I just needed someone reliable to check out this, Nam Rae Mi girl. So far, the past hundred applicants were nothing but pretty faces with no talent. I’m looking for the next best super model the world has ever seen, not these—“

                “Calm down, Rin—“

                “Who said you could interrupt me and call me Rin?! I’ll FIRE you!”

                “Rin, you won’t fire me,” he replied, rolling his eyes at her. She was getting antsy from working too much. “I’m your best friend and the only reliable one in this company. You said so yourself.”

                “Alright, so I won’t fire you,” she groaned, she slammed her head against her desk. “Just please help me find this girl.”

                “You know, this isn’t like you, Rin. I thought you’d be the first to notice you’re sister’s name written as her mother. Technically, I think that means she’s your niece.”

                Chae Rin jerked off her desk and scrambled for the papers again, scanning the words briefly. Huh, there it was. Nam Soo Mi was written in bold black letters.

                “Oh . . .”

                “You’ve been working too hard, just relax. You should take a vacation and visit her yourself. I distinctly remember laughing when you tried to photograph her while she was taking a bath, saying she could be the next big model if she felt like it. It’s only been a month and you’ve forgotten about her already?”

                Chae Rin didn’t answer; instead she buried her head into her arms. Taeyang sighed and made his way behind her, opting to massage her shoulders. He could feel the knots from all the stress she’d received ever since she’d taken on the position of head honcho. She was too head-strong to deny the position and took it without a second thought. He smiled at that, one of the many reasons why he was in love with her.

                But the smile didn’t last for long. He glared at the tiny picture occupying the corner of her desk. It was a picture of her current boyfriend. He didn’t really mind that she had one, her relationships all ended up the same anyway. After a break-up he’d pick her up from the nearest bar and bring her back to her house. She’d cry, only in her drunken stupor and on his shoulder, just like she’d done for the past twelve years. He’d sit there, run his fingers through her hair, and whisper a better man would come someday. Then she’d whisper, “Why didn’t I fall in love with you, Youngbae?”

                The smile returned to his face as his eyes moved to the next picture in line, it was in a larger frame than all the other ones. A picture of them as kids stared back at him. His hands mindlessly worked on their own, traveling down the trail of her back then back up, in one swift, fluid motion. Chae Rin mumbled something under her breath and let out a soft moan. She was glad she had someone like Youngbae. He always knew exactly what she needed.

                Her eyes snapped open once she felt his fingers stop moving, her eyes blinked up curiously at him. Why’d he suddenly stop? Chae Rin placed her hand on his, griping at it gently. She looked at him worriedly. When his eyes met hers, she knew something was wrong. There was an intensity to his gaze that made her wonder if it was a gaze a man would give his best friend or a gaze he would give his lover.

                The image of Youngbae wrapping his arms around her waist was suddenly very appealing. Her body grew warm at the thought of it. She knew when Youngbae was serious about a girl she was all he would focus on. He showered her with gifts and affection any woman would be envious of. Heck, she’d been envious of any girl that got to touch him. It was a known fact (to her at least, since she’d been lucky enough to see for herself) that Youngbae was fit. Not fit in the sense that he’d be able to run a few laps around the track without breaking a sweat, but in another sense. Fit in the sense that he was built beautifully, a body blessed by the gods themselves. It wasn’t a big surprise—he did use to be a model too. She had absolutely no idea why he decided to quit and work for her.

               “Um, thanks for that. And I guess I’ll be checking up on little Rae Mi after all. I haven’t had a break in a while. Do you want to come with me? Consider it a vacation with your best friend!”

                When the words spewed from , Youngbae shut his eyes, breathing slowly. He was used to being the ‘best friend’ but he was getting tired of it—quickly. His eyes darted to Chae Rin. She looked up at him hopefully. Dark brown hair tumbled over her shoulders and swept over her left eye. He knew it was wrong to love her like this, but he couldn’t love her any other way. If he continued loving her as more than a friend, he would get hurt in the end. If he continued loving her unrequitedly what would happen when she got married to some bastard and had his children? No matter which path he chose there were going to be consequences. What was he supposed to do?

                “It does sound appealing but I’m afraid I’m a bit tied up at the moment with clients,” he concluded.

                “Oh, then maybe I can push it back a day or two so we can go together?”

                Youngbae shook his head, trudging back to the door of her office. He turned to look at her, and then snapped his head away. It was wrong.

                “I’m sorry. I have other matters to attend to.”

                “Right,” Chae Rin whispered, flustered by the longing in her voice. “Then, how about we pick up some lunch?”

                “Alright, I’ll be back later,” he whispered, shutting the door softly behind him.

                “Grandma, I’m back! The ahjussi down at the flower shop told me to give these to you while I was passing by. I told you he had a thing for you! Hello?”

                Nam Rae Midropped a bundle of flowers on the small kitchen counter and peered up the dark staircase. Something was wrong. She hurried up the stairs and whipped open her grandma’s bedroom. Empty. Suddenly, an eerie feeling washed over her, like she was being watched. She let out a shrill scream as she felt fingers on her shoulder. Her eyes caught sight of a wooden comb on the nearby vanity mirror and held it in front of her. A pathetic excuse for a weapon, but hey, you can’t complain. It was either this or nothing.

                “Who’s there?”

                “Yah, Nam Rae Mi, who told you to raise a weapon to your aunt. Some welcome this turned out to be,” said a figure, stepping out from the shadows.

                “Aunt Rin! What are you doing here? I thought you were busy at the office.”

                “I was, but then I dumped all my work on Youngbae since he’s didn’t want to accompany me. Don’t worry about your grandma. She’s outside tending to her garden again,” Chae Rin said.

                “Oh, good, I thought something happened while I was at work.”

                Her aunt looked at her with an amused glint. Something about it was off . . .

                “I have a proposition for you.”

                Rae Mi studied her aunt’s face. She usually held a stoic expression when she spoke and showed little emotion. But, that was only when she was being professional at work. She wasn’t one to openly show her emotions to random people on the street. She preferred to get to know a person before any of that happened. From what she knew, her aunt kept a close circle of friends.

                Odd how her best friend was Youngbae—one would think their personalities would clash too much. Youngbae always had a smile on his face (or whenever she saw him at least). Her aunt smiled . . . occasionally, just not as often as the average human being did. She was also rash, often jumping to conclusions, or making split decisions without any prior knowledge. Maybe that was why they clicked so well, what Aunt Chae Rin lacked, Youngbae made up for.

                “I wish I had someone like that,” Rae Mi muttered.

                “Someone like who?”

                “Youngbae . . .”

                “The bastard that’s stuck at work right now?” she scoffed. “Why?”

                “You two are so close. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you two were dating.”

                Chae Rin’s jaw dropped hearing the words spew from her innocent niece’s mouth. Now she was talking nonsense too? “Well, whatever, I came to ask you something,” she said, quickly changing the subject.

               “What?”

                “Do you want to mod—“ she watched Rae Mi’s mouth contort into a scowl, “—do me a favor?”

                Rae Mi’s expression changed again. She sighed in relief. For a second she thought her aunt was going to ask her to be a model. Fat chance of that happening. Even if she was often complimented for her natural looks, Rae Mi had a small issue with her self-esteem. In elementary school, she was the awkward girl who had yet to grow into her body. Her legs seemed too long, her shoulders looked too narrow, her face was too small— all the small details no one really noticed, she paid attention to. She wasn’t sure if it was because she was just naturally self-conscious or if it was because she kept comparing herself to her mother. No one feels good when their flaws are pointed out, especially if they’re being compared to an international super model like Nam Soo Mi.

                “Pose for some pictures for me,” Chae Rin blurted out.

                “No! That’s the same as modeling! I have to help grandma pay rent and—“

                “It pays higher than your job now.”

                “So? I’ll just work extra shifts at the café—“

                “You’ll be friends with some of the iest men in the industry.”

                “I don’t care much for men right now—“

                “You’ll get to see Yunho, again,” she whispered.

                “WHY WOULD I WANT TO SEE THAT BASTARD?”

                “Your grandma won’t have to work another day for the rest of her life.”

                “I—“

                “So it’s settled then. I’m moving you and your grandma back up to Seoul so you can work for me. I’ll have Youngbae pick you up at the airport and we can start training you on the runway. Maybe I’ll just throw you into shoot to test you first? Is that too harsh?”

                “But—“

                “Perfect! I’ll see you soon. Plane tickets will be sent by mail and I’ll have your first interview set up by next week. See you soon!”