Jade,

What can I say? I love that you’re in Seoul! I am receiving your replies so fast; it’s like we’re exchanging emails or somethingㅋㅋ.

I’m glad that you liked the apartment and it’s good to hear that you got yourself a job. I knew you were always an efficient person, but who knew you are this efficient? By the way you describe it, sounds like a good one too. As for my job… it is unfortunately starting to kill me. I know I always say I love it so much, but I am starting to miss my family again – my mother, especially. Anyways, I must support her to give her a life of luxury!!! I am still saving up for that house ㅋㅋ$$!

Yours only,
Dan

 

 

As expected, I had gotten the job.  I knew that when my father said he had found me a job opportunity, he didn’t mean just opportunity, he meant job. Either way, the pretty, polished lady called Minyeon who interviewed me seemed genuinely impressed with me.

 

“Hearing your fluent Korean, I no longer doubt your language abilities,” she laughed, covering with her hand.

 

I smiled, not knowing what else to say.

 

She looked at my resume, which my father had apparently sent over, and asked, “I see that you’ve taken part in organizing the charity fashion show at your school for four years in a row. That seems interesting; you must be a good organizer then.”

 

“I suppose so,” I nodded, trying to not sound arrogant, “I was in charge last year.”

 

“Hmm,” she looked on. “You have good grades too… Why didn’t you go to college? Why take a gap year?”

 

I opened my mouth to curse my father, but stopped before I did any damage. She didn’t need to know this, I thought. I would just look like some spoiled brat. Hence, I smiled sweetly instead and replied, “I don’t know, but I think life experience will do me some justice. I have been pampered too much as a teenager, so I want to try to be independent.”

 

She laughed, eyes twinkling, “Why? You are still a teenager! You’re only eighteen.”

 

It was a good move on my part, as she seemed to be even more comfortable with me afterwards. The interview went on for another 15 minutes before she put a contract before me. It was clipped to an official-looking leather-bound folder with a pen-holder, which made it look so authentic that I suddenly felt intimidated.

 

“Here, pay attention to these two clauses,” she ran her pen over several lines and explained, “It’s basically asking you to keep quiet about many things that go on in the company. You cannot, under any circumstances, post any pictures you took with the artists, post information that the company had not yet publicized and leak anything to the press. This loyalty or secrecy clause applies even after you have left the company. Do you understand?”

 

I nodded solemnly, taking her words in. This is serious stuff, I suppose. SM Entertainment would lose a lot of money if any preliminary information had gotten out. I signed the contract without further worry. After all, my father being the meticulous man he is would have read over the contract before submitting me to it. Sure, he was a control freak, but he still wants the best for me.

 

Upon closing the contract, the lady hugged it to her chest and extended her hands towards me for a handshake. “Welcome to SME, Jia-eun! I will take you to the manager right now.”

 

Following her, I asked the most anticipated question, “Who’s manager will I be assisting?”

 

She quickly looked back at me, surprised. She then covered with her perfectly manicured hands and laughed, “Oh! Did I not tell you? You will be working for Super Junior.”

 

S-Super Junior?

 

“What?” I blurted out.

 

“You will be working for Super Junior,” she reiterated.

 

The inner-me must have done five thousand summersaults at that moment. I suddenly felt my heart pumping fast and there was an urge for me to hop around like a bunny. I’m not a fan of them, but dear God, it’s Super Junior. Super freaking Junior. The Super sorry-sorry Junior. My friends will be so jealous.

 

“Excited?” she asked, smirking.

 

It was then when I decided to like her. The mischievous glint in her eyes betrayed her carefully constructed professionalism and I saw that average human being under her expensive clothes and make up. She must not be too different from me. She is older, wiser and probably more educated, but she is still smitten by her involvement in the company.

 

“I feel so unprepared! I haven’t done any research on them!”

 

She waved her hand dismissively and said, “No need, I’ll just give you a few tips right now. The manager you will be helping is called Jack and he’s specifically Leeteuk’s manager. He is a nice guy, quite humorous actually, so no need to be formal with him, but he likes efficiency.” She paused, gave me a once-over glance and added, “Since you’re pretty, it will work to your advantage to do some aegyo. He will be nicer to you that way.”

 

You bet, I thought. I was planning to work some aegyo anyways – it had never failed me.

 

I followed her into the elevator.

 

“What about members of Super Junior? What are they like?”

 

“Hmm,” she absent-mindedly tapped her finger against her pink lips. “Well, I’m not close with all of them, but the ones you can expect to be welcoming and nice are Sungmin, Donghae – he might be a bit shy at first, Siwon, Ryeowook, Kangin and Kyuhyun; Yesung is a bit eccentric, but he is playful and amusing when he wants to be; Leeteuk is very professional and respectful, but he is actually quiet and a bit distant in person.”

 

“What about Heechul and Shindong?”

 

“Heechul is still in the army, so you probably won’t have the chance to meet him and as for Shindong… well, that guy is just okay. He is humorous, nice and all, but I heard from the other assistants that he can be rather grumpy at times.”

 

There was a little ping, as we arrived at the eleventh floor. The doors open to a surprisingly, boring-looking corridor. It had white concrete walls and gray, steel doors with not a single window in sight. Although brightly-lit, the hallway felt oppressive and foreboding, but fortunately, the ceilings were high and the corridor itself wide, so the claustrophobic, stuffy feeling is avoided. I had expected something much more interesting.

 

Minyeon led me to a random room and sat with me, waiting for Jack. She mumbled, “He is always grumbling at me for being late, but what about him? I can’t even…”

 

“Is Jack late?”

 

She nodded, rolling her eyes. She opened drawers at the desk we sat in front of and took a sapphire blue folder with my name marked on it.

 

“Well, I might as well as do his job for him and tell you about this. This is your folder from now on. It contains the profile of all Super Junior members – what they like, their traits, food allergies etc. – and their schedule, particularly Leeteuk’s, for the upcoming week. To update this folder, you will have to report to the main office at 2^nd floor.”

 

I took the folder and put it in my bag. “What else do I need to know?”

 

Minyeon thought for a bit and then put her face close to mine, as if delivering an important secret. She lowered her voice and said, “Well, to be honest, I was a bit hesitant to even interview you when I saw your profile. You looked too pretty.”

 

“Huh?” My brows furrowed in confusion.

 

“It’s a crime to be pretty in this business, because you can jealousy can develop and can cause unnecessary scandals.”

 

“But you’re pretty too.”

 

She grinned in a self-satisfied way and nudged me a bit. “I’m in Human Resources, but you, Jia-eun, you are with the artists all the time. All the female assistants are very possessive and they crave for their artists’ attention, so be careful. If a member of Super Junior happens to like you more than they like them, and he is not Leeteuk, you are in big trouble.”

 

“Why Leeteuk?”

 

“Well, you’re his assistant, so I guess he is ‘rightfully’ yours”

 

Oh , more drama. This place is beginning to sound just a bit less appealing.

 

“Oh, but don’t worry. Usually, the jealousy thing goes for a month or so and it fades when those women realize you’re a good person. Anyways, I’ll just be your good unnie and look out for you, yes?”

 

I nodded and joked, “Yes, pretty girls should become allies.”

 

She looked pleased once more and asked me for my phone, so we could exchange numbers. By the time the manager Jack came by, his slightly chubby but tall figure looming in the doorway, we were chatting and gossiping happily.

 

“Minyeon, are you corrupting the young girl?”

 

She harrumphed at him and got up. “Text me if you need anything,” she waved cheerily and left – but not before she made a face behind his back.

 

I stifled a giggle.

 

Jack extended his hands towards me and shook it. “Knowing Minyeon, you probably know all about me, so I’ll just skip the introduction.” His facial expression and tone of voice denotes absolute seriousness. “Super Junior has an outdoor performance to do today in the stadium – perhaps you have heard about it – if not, read it in your folder.”

 

I immediately took out my folder to browse through the schedule. Wow, I thought. They need to be at the stadium by 5pm for rehearsal, perform at 8:30pm and then rush to the studio for recording at 10pm.

 

“Do I have to be present in all of these events?” I looked at Jack and pointed at the columns.

 

He replied plainly, “This schedule is made for you, so yes.”

 

Oh, I mouthed, pouting slightly.

 

“Well,” he suddenly clasped his hands together. “Are you ready then? We need to head to the stadium now.”

 

I nodded and felt my heart quickening as I followed him, my steps quickening to match his rapid strides.