« I almost didn’t recognize you. How long has it been? »

 

« Really funny, Remy. »

 

« No, but you have to admit it has been a while since we saw each other. »

 

« Well, you were out of town. »

 

« But every time I was at the office, somehow you weren’t there! »

 

« Sorry, I have a job. »

 

Remy chuckles, pushing Soojin’s shoulder before receiving a quick hit in the arm as a response. The duo walks to Minnie’s office, they are the last to enter, but they don’t seem to mind and they greet Yuqi and James before taking their seat in front of Minnie’s desk.

 

As the week is coming to an end, the agents have their usual meeting to talk about everything that happened. Minnie believes it is important. As time passes, there is more than work that is shared between them. Everyone must have done their best to reach their weekly goal, but most importantly it is a time to share your feelings about the week.

 

Quite often, it doesn’t go very deep. Some other times, she sees how worn out by a project one of her agents is, those times everyone acknowledges the hard work and shows support. They are before anything else a team. Minnie knows she would have never made it alone, and she wants her agents to understand they need each other to grow further.

 

« I am glad to hear so much good news. We have already reached the middle of the year, and it is great to see we all walk toward our goal. »

 

« I think we can also all agree you did an amazing job, boss. »

 

Minnie is caught off guard, which makes everyone smile. Remy stands up, and gracefully adjusts his jacket. Soojin hides her smile behind her hand, and even if Minnie keeps looking at her with huge interrogation marks in her eyes, the agent only holds a mysterious sparkle in her gaze as a response. Yuqi and James got closer, also smiling mysteriously.

 

« On the behalf of the four of us. There are some words worth sharing. »

 

Remy takes a dramatic pause, and when Minnie rests her gaze on Soojin’s she feels a wave of emotions submerging her.

 

« As the senior agent among the four of us, it has been a pleasure to share the past five years with you. There is no greater school, than the one of trust. To each of us, you gave your trust, your knowledge, and your time, to continue one long and difficult journey toward making the world a better place. »

 

Minnie pushes her tongue against the roof of . Remy has always been charming, and he knows how to play with it. Right now, mixed with his sincerity, his charm entirely captures Minnie’s attention.

 

« I believe in cinema as one of the roads to making the world a better place. There is no better way to pass a message across, create emotions, and touch people right in their hearts. As long as art exists there will be hope. »

 

Remy’s eyes are burning with a fire how so familiar. Minnie quickly looks at Soojin, but the woman’s entire attention is on Remy. It is there that she notices one of Yuqi’s hands is resting on Soojin’s shoulder and that the older agent is holding it. James is standing near Yuqi, and it seems as if they are holding hands behind his back.

 

« I, we. We want to say thank you for teaching us. I know, you like to tell us how great we did. Today it is us telling you how great you did. James, Yuqi, Soojin, and I are all terribly grateful to you. For giving us the chance to prove ourselves. For giving us the means to try. »

 

Remy bows his head a moment.

 

« There is a bit of you in each of us now. So. Soojin? »

 

Soojin stands up, helped by Remy who can’t help his gentlemanly manners from coming out. Here again, the duo of agents seems to shine.

 

« So we thought, to end this week, it would be a good idea to celebrate you. »

 

Minnie watches as her four agents stand before her. She has to hold back her tears when she looks at each of them right in the eyes and sees the determination of Yuqi, the burning flame of Soojin, the tranquil charm of Remy, and the curious sparkle of James. As they all found more of themselves through their work, they also all left some of themselves in Minnie.

 

« Unnie, you can cry after eating, okay? »

 

Soojin holds out her hand for Minnie to grab.

 

---

 

« What have you done to my fiancée? »

 

« This is why you asked me to come? »

 

« She has been crying for the past hour! »

 

Soojin chuckles before entering Minnie and Miyeon’s shared apartment. She naturally makes her way toward the living room, only to find Minnie curled up in the coach, blowing her nose and throwing the tissue with the other ones on the floor. Soojin can’t help her laugh, she immediately comes to Minnie’s side and pats her leg.

 

« Unnie, are you not going to stop crying? Your fiancée is growing worried. »

 

« I… »

 

The CEO falls into more tears, no words make it out of . Miyeon observes from the kitchen how the two interact. Soojin and Minnie took some time to be comfortable together, but eventually, they worked it out.

 

« Hum… I wasn’t expecting you to be so touched by our words. We just thought it would only be fair for us to tell you how much you mean to us. To each of us, you gave us a chance. You are almost a hero. Ahah. Don’t cry like this. »

 

Minnie reaches out for another tissue. Miyeon rolls her eyes, it has been going on for too long now, and she has enough of seeing her lover in this state. Those aren’t tears of sadness, but they don’t seem to have an end.

 

« Unnie… Don’t cry… Come here. »

 

Minnie lets herself almost fall on Soojin but she catches her before she can, and holds her against her. Soojin comforts her, rubbing her back warmly. Truly she finds the situation funnier than anything. She never thought Minnie could be such a crybaby.

 

Minnie has always shown a rather strong and tough facade to everything thrown at her, even when it was difficult, she just gritted her teeth and handled it. The thing is, she doesn’t know how to respond when she is told how important and loved she is.

 

Knowing how her agents see her, and what they deeply think of her moved her to the tears, and she hasn’t recovered yet. It feels good to be appreciated, to be recognized for the work you do, but right now it feels too good and she doesn’t know how to manage it. This is why she is currently crying her heart out.

 

It is said that you cry when the amount of emotions you can handle has been reached.

 

« Unnie. Get a hold of yourself. God, we thought you deserved to know how much we appreciate you but we weren’t expecting this reaction. I think this is the first time I see you cry. »

 

« Fank you sho much… »

 

« Oh, God… Your wife is gonna murder me if you don’t stop crying. »

 

Minnie nods against Soojin’s shoulder and brings another tissue to her red nose. Miyeon watches as ever so slightly Soojin rests her cheek on top of Minnie’s head, it is only for a second but she catches it.

 

« Wait, unnie. I have a call. »

 

Minnie looks at Soojin with pleading eyes, but the agent is already pulling out her phone. Minnie doesn’t recognize the voice at the other end, so she just looks around, eventually locking eyes with her fiancée.

 

« I have to go. You will be okay, unnie? »

 

Soojin gives a quick side hug to Minnie before rising from the couch. Miyeon immediately joins them to try to find out who contact Soojin this late in the night. It is almost one in the morning, and the agent is so suddenly ready to go.

 

« Where are you running off to like that? »

 

« Shuhua wants to see me. »

 

« For what? »

 

« I don’t really know. She just said it was urgent. »

 

« So late? »

 

« Okay, I am leaving you two here. Minnie gets a hold, please. And you unnie, just understand your wife is very much loved by her employee. Okay? It is gonna be alright. »

 

Soojin is gone, the door slamming on her way out.

 

---

 

« Come here. »

 

Shuhua immediately throws herself in the arms of Soojin, she wraps her arms around her waist and hides her face in her neck; here it smells deliciously like Soojin, fresh, and clean. The agent puts a protective hand on Shuhua’s head, and the woman squeezes herself even more against the warm body of her agent.

 

Nothing exists but Soojin holding her in her arms and caressing her hair gently. Nothing but Soojin. Shuhua lets herself crumble entirely, her body relaxes and a comfortable warmth spread from her heart to each of her limbs.

 

Her week has been difficult, and between the many schedules, she didn’t get enough rest. Every time she could she closed her eyes and stole a few minutes; but it isn’t enough for her and now that it is coming to an end and that Soojin is here, she feels better. It has been a while since she saw the agent, the woman was busy on other projects, and Shuhua didn’t have the time to visit her at her office.

 

Here, they are at Shuhua’s place, the actress called Soojin, asking her to come the fastest possible; she did, and as soon as Shuhua opened the door she saw how tired the woman was and naturally opened her arms.

 

« Is everything okay? »

 

« A minute. »

 

Shuhua hums, taking a big breath of Soojin’s perfume, and enjoying the warmth of the body pressed against hers.

 

Finally, they enter Shuhua’s place, the actress still holding onto Soojin like a life rope. She walks her to her bedroom and lets herself fall on the bed. Soojin follows. Shuhua is spread in the big bed, which takes up almost all the space in the room while Soojin is simply sitting at the edge. Shuhua’s hand is resting on Soojin’s lap, refusing to leave the woman.

 

« Have you been sleeping all day long? »

 

« No. I just got here a few minutes before calling. »

 

« Don’t you ever make your bed? »

 

« Why do you ask me so many questions? Why don’t you lay with me instead? Please. »

 

Shuhua manages to grab Soojin’s hips, she wraps her arm around and pulls the woman at her. She has always been quite comfortable with physical contact, even more with Soojin, it seems natural to touch her. Ever since she understood she could touch the agent, she has stopped holding back.

 

« What did you want? Your call seemed urgent. »

 

Soojin refuses to lay down, but she runs her hand in Shuhua’s hair, combing them gently. Shuhua looks up, her big eyes finding Soojin’s soft ones. Again, there is the view of a soft smile, only for Shuhua, the cherry lips are inviting; Shuhua closes her eyes for a second, and she feels the hand in her hair again, petting her. When she opens her eyes, she sees the same image.

 

« I wanted to see you. I… I like being with you. »

 

Shuhua squeezes Soojin lightly, it is the truth, a bit hard to admit. Soojin is a comforting person, but there is more than that. Soojin is always here, without a fail. It has been almost four months since she started to see the agent more frequently because of Park Jiwan’s movie, and the agent has always shown up.

 

She cares ever so deeply about everything, and with her, everything feels possible; truly Shuhua can’t be grateful enough for all the times Soojin inspired her to continue. She knows she would have never given up; it isn’t an option. It is just that someday are harder than others, and sometimes everything seems like the biggest obstacle ever. And… Soojin makes it easier.

 

The presence of the agent in her life is without precedent.

 

Shuhua has always lived depending only on herself; expecting disappointment from the people around her. It has always been like this, and frankly, she had stopped minding. She has learned to appreciate every day for what it has to offer, to appreciate everyone for what they are giving her, knowing one day it would end.

 

It is never easy when people leave her life, but at least she enjoyed every opportunity and moment she had with them. No one ever stays. Shuhua quickly understood she would have to rely on herself for most of her life. Still, there is a terrible need for comfort which lives within her, and even if temporary, she seeks it.

 

« I am here. You can tell me if something is- »

 

« No. I am just tired, but everything else is okay. I just wanted to be with you. »

 

---

 

« Come, Shuhua. »

 

Yuqi invites her actress to sit down in front of her desk. The agent is deep into a stack of paper, clearly not ready for her meeting with Shuhua; it seems to happen when she tries to work on multiple things at once.

 

« You seem overworked. »

 

« I am not. It is just… I need to finish reading that so I can sign it and then send it before the delivery man come and get the mail. »

 

« I will get myself a tea then. »

 

« Okay. Tell Siwoo to bring me a coffee, please. »

 

Shuhua leaves the office for the open kitchen. Here there are James and Remy, watching something on their phone. Remy immediately drops the phone he was holding to greet Shuhua hello, a warm hug to the actress he adores so much.

 

« James, do you know Shuhua? »

 

« This is the first time I meet this beautiful woman in person. »

 

James is a flirt, but after working with Soojin for less than a year he has quickly understood there is a line he shouldn’t cross. So, he is always very much careful to not make anyone uncomfortable with his words.

 

« I am pleased to meet you, Yeh Shuhua. »

 

James bows to Shuhua, respectfully, despite his laid-back and joking attitude. His eyes are green, and they shine with mischievousness, his hair is long enough to fall before his eyes, he is taller than Remy and since he is a former swimmer, he still has the body.

 

James is very attractive, and he knows it. Unfortunately for him, Shuhua has already someone else in mind. Someone James can’t even start to compare with.

 

« I just wanted a tea, and Yuqi a coffee. »

 

« Let me take care of it. »

 

Remy is already opening the cabinet to start preparing the drinks. James invites Shuhua to sit at the table with him and she does so. James shows her the video he was watching with Remy seconds ago. It is of an MV of an artist, James starts to explain what is so interesting about it.

 

From the lights and the colors to the different shots, there is something very interesting in the way James sees things around him. Shuhua finds herself paying attention to every word said by James, and when she looked at the MV, she could see too all the little things James told her.

 

« Here is your tea. James let her breathe. »

 

« I am only showing her one video. »

 

« It was really instructive. »

 

« See. »

 

« If you like filmmaking so much, then why did you become an agent? »

 

« For the actresses. »

 

James sighs, Remy chuckles at his joke and Shuhua joins him.

 

« I became an agent because I wanted to learn. You see… »

 

Shuhua listens with a lot of interest. James speaks very well, he explains things in a very simple but polished way. Shuhua learns he used to work part-time as an assistant in NYA before getting the job as an agent. Just like the other three agents, he has a clear passion for the cinema industry, and from the way he talks about it, he also has clear respect and admiration for his coworker and his boss, Minnie.

 

« And the coffee. Yuqi doesn’t like when it is cold. »

 

« Well thank you so much, Remy. And it was nice meeting you, James. »

 

Shuhua walks back to the office, holding the two cups, and sits down in front of her agent. Yuqi is cleaning up her desk, Finally, she takes her cup of coffee and properly looks at her actress.

 

« So, how have you been doing? Last week you told me you were quite exhausted. I tried to change your schedule so you could have some rest. »

 

« The shooting of the drama is tiring. I just can’t wait for it to be over. »

 

« Is there something you aren’t telling me? »

 

« It is just… Sometimes… I just want it to be over already. … The cast and I aren’t hitting it off more than that. So… It feels more like work. »

 

« It is work. »

 

« I know that. It is just that on other productions I did, it didn’t feel like working. I was having fun. »

 

Yuqi drinks more of her coffee, her attention on Shuhua. She notices the dark bags under her eyes, the only hint of her tired state, otherwise, the woman is resplendent, something is blooming in her aura.

 

« And how is the movie going? »

 

« We are starting to film in two weeks. Unlike the drama, I am excited to be on set. With all the rehearsing, the fittings, and the meetings we have, I feel… euphoric. I think this is the most interesting project I got to work on. »

 

« I am glad to hear that. »

 

« I wanted to thank you for coming with me during my schedules. I know you have a lot of work. Still, you came and I am truly thankful. »

 

Yuqi raises an eyebrow, surprised by the sudden confession. It is very much Shuhua like to be so honest, and it never fails to surprise Yuqi. At first, she warned Shuhua about it, it could handicap her in certain situations. But then, after having a casual conversation with Soojin, she realized there was no reason for Shuhua to be fake. Ever since she never stopped the woman from expressing herself freely.

 

« It is no problem. It was important for you, so it was important for me. »

 

---

 

« It is what I am trying to tell you! »

 

« Don’t. »

 

« Okay, I am sorry I screamed. I just want you to understand what I have been saying. »

 

Soyeon tries to hold Soojin’s hands but the woman doesn’t let her. A frown is present between her eyebrows, proof of her resentment toward Soyeon’s behavior toward her.

 

The conversation between the two is difficult. It seems that the year spent apart dig a hole of misunderstanding between them. They are now two strangers with a common past. Soyeon finds it difficult to accept. Soojin who has been a big part of her early years as a young adult will always be a precious person, and despite her best effort to express her sincere feelings to the woman, Soojin doesn’t seem to understand.

 

Soyeon has always grown up in wealth. Her life was already decided for her; she should inherit all of her parents’ wealth and take their place at the top of the family’s conglomerate. Soyeon accepted her fate from an early age. She never felt ashamed nor proud of her status and went through life doing whatever her parents told her to do.

 

After finishing high school, she enrolled in university. Now reaching eighteen years old, her parents believed their daughter could use a little freedom and could experience more of the real world herself. Soyeon found herself living on her own, out of the family’s mansion for the first time. At first, it was scary. To be all alone with her thoughts.

 

With all the freedom to do what pleased her, she slowly started to look around her. Everything was interesting. Since her life has mostly been lived behind golden doors of wealth, experiencing student life was all new. People from everywhere in the country, opportunities to have fun at every corner, everything at the tips of her fingers.

 

One thing Soyeon always loved was going to the movie theater. Sometimes, during the holidays, her late uncle would bring her there to see a movie and eat junk food. Soyeon adored him and their moments together.

 

It was thanks to him that her love for movies slowly started to form and grow. Her parents let her have it as a hobby as long as her studies continued to be perfect. It didn’t let a lot of time for the girl to dive into the world of movies but now that she was on her own, she had all the time in the world. Between her finance classes, Soyeon found herself either at the campus library or at the movie.

 

In her second year of university, Soyeon changed her major. Cinematography it was. In her first month, she met one enigma of a woman. Seo Soojin. Her curiosity peaked the second they sat next to each other during one class, and she spent most of her time with Soojin. Alongside her, Soyeon found a partner.

 

They were both animated by the same subject. They spent most of their free time watching old movies, sharing books, looking for the beautiful things around them, and living to the fullest. Soojin was a free spirit. Raised in France by Korean parents, everything about her was familiar and foreign at the same time. Soyeon loved it.

 

Soojin showed her recklessness, freedom, and how to choose for herself. She opened a new world for Soyeon, and they both loved every minute they spend in it. Together, they were happy.

 

« It is in the past now. »

 

Soojin finally lets out after a minute of silence. This time her walls aren’t crumbling and her coldness can be felt. Soyeon wants to believe it is all just an act Soojin is putting up with her, she is doing it to protect herself.

 

« It is in the past for you, but it is still very much present for me. I needed to understand. Even if it was painful for you, I needed it. »

 

« Hum… »

 

« I… I don’t resent you, Jin-ah. »

 

The use of the familiar nickname makes Soojin tick. Her eyes meet Soyeon’s before looking away quickly.

 

« In a way, it wouldn’t have been you if you had chosen me. I fell in love with you, with all of you. Even with the part that would break my heart. »

 

Soojin turns around, giving her back to Soyeon as she refuses to let her see how deeply her words are touching her.

 

Soyeon had already decided long ago that she would never resent Soojin for what she did, whatever the explanation might be. Their relationship is too precious for her, even right now, having Soojin back in her life even in a professional setting is precious. All Soyeon ever wanted was for their love for movies to express themselves together.

 

« Jin-ah. »

 

« I don’t want you to resent me. I just don’t understand why it is so easy for you to forgive me. »

 

« … »

 

« I felt guilty for years. I just don’t understand. Was our relationship not that important to you? »

 

Soojin still refuses to look at Soyeon. Their conversation is easier like this.

 

« It is because our relationship was so important to me that I can forgive you. I understand why you did what you did at this time. I fell in love with you because you knew what you loved and you were willing to go the difficult path to achieve what you wanted. It would have been hypocritical of me to resent you for the very thing I loved you for. »

 

Soyeon timidly grabs Soojin’s arm and makes her turn around so they can face each other. Soojin has been silently crying, her tears running down her cheeks one by one, despite doing her best to keep her composure.

 

---

 

« I want her. »

 

Shuhua mumbles under her breath. Her eyes are only on the woman leaning on one of the desks, her long black hair is falling before her eyes, and she keeps putting them back behind her ears. She holds a pen negligently between her fingers. The frown on her eyebrows betrays her concentration. Shuhua tries her best to look at something other than the cherry lips she keeps biting, but it gets harder every instant.

 

Behind the glass wall of the meeting room, Shuhua has all the opportunity to watch Soojin work. Sitting in Yuqi’s office, she has a full view of the room. There, Miyeon, Soojin, and Jiwan are in the heavy talk about future promotion. Since the movie is a bit different, there is a real reflection made around the time they should be releasing it.

 

Shuhua isn’t told much about it.

 

Yuqi is on the legal team floor, she had to get a paper for Shuhua to sign. This is how the actress found herself alone in her agent's office. She had already seen the meeting between the three women on her way to Yuqi’s office, and she had even tried to wave to Soojin but the woman didn’t see her.

 

Shuhua doesn’t stop looking at Soojin. There is more to the agent than Shuhua ever expected. Burning and vibrant, the passion coming from the woman can be felt even through the walls. Shuhua watches intensely. It gives her goosebumps, and her heart is swelling. She takes a big breath, hoping her heart will calm down.

 

It doesn’t hit her yet, that maybe there is an explanation for what she feels when she looks at the agent. It is beyond the usual admiration she has for some people. It rises through her body in various ways, and so she can’t be sure of its nature. But the main reason surely is that it never happened to her before, and no one told her about it, nor pointed it out for her to notice.

 

There is a certain innocence in Shuhua, it isn’t fake, and no one has broken it yet, and this is why Jiwan chose her over the other actresses. There is something so pure in her, impossible to imitate. It mixes with her beauty, and the whole thing blends in an even more unique and beautiful result.

 

« I want… Soojin. »

 

 

---

So. I have been working this summer job, which explains the long time to update. Most of the chapter was written a while ago but I did not know how to finish it.

I think in this chapter we did a big jump as someone might have started to come to terms with how they feel toward their agent. *looking at one Shuhua*. On the other hand, Soojin and Soyeon's relationship is slowly starting to shift for the best. I think their dynamic will be interesting in the future.

As for the red thread of the story, I think it is time we go back on track and make progress. We cruse for long enough, and it is time to get things moving. :)