II.

 

 

Hakyung got up early as usual. Aside from breakfast and watching news, she made sure to check  her daily schedule. She also did few researches regarding her stylist and manager and encoded their details in NDSA’s database for future references. After finishing her cup of coffee, she paced to the living room and scanned the area.

Her new home impressed her in an exuberant way. Glass bullet-proof walls that shut off the inside view from the outside with a single button press from a remote control, green and cream interior with a hint of brown just like how she wanted it to be. Plants that are actually planted and alive are decorated separately but accordingly all throughout the house. An indoor garden sits by a corner of the huge living room; there are no flowers. Just greens. In the middle of the indoor garden lies the huge live rose-shaped, magenta-colored Echeveria Cactus. It has always been her favorite plant because she finds the plant beautifully formed; she also admired its ability to survive and stay as beautiful as it is even without anyone tending to it.  

Everywhere you look, there’s a sign of life. It’s as if the person who designed the whole area knew how much of a lifeless creature Hakyung has always been; that he deliberately brought life to surround her every day with an intention to make her live once again, that maybe because of the feeing she got from her surrounding, she’d learn to smile when flowers bloom and that she’ll weep tears as everything withers. Strangely, Hakyung feels that whenever she stands in the middle of the living room, she is being transported inside her heart, and for once, there’s that assuring feeling that she’s safe and home.

Hakyung was sitting at the living room when the doorbell rang. She looked at the clock and figured it’s about time her stylist arrive. She stood up, opened the door, and lead the lady inside the bedroom area by the huge vanity table to begin her transformation from a disheveled creature to a presentable human being.

After the prepping ceremony, the stylist smiled at the sight of the transformed Shin Hakyung, “You’re beautiful.” She exhales. “Just how I thought you’d turn out to be the moment I saw you.”

“Thank you.” Hakyung impassively but sincerely said. “Have you eaten your breakfast?”

“Not yet. We’ll be having breakfast with the rest of the WM talents today, Hakyung-ah.”

“Is that so?” She picked up her cell phone. “Have you seen the moon last night, eonnie?”

Sora scratched her head. “I have… but I can’t remember how it looked like. Was it full moon last night?”

“Because you just look, that’s why you didn’t see.” Hakyung replied. “Those are different things, eonnie.”

Hakyung looked different from before. Her eyes bore thick, pointy eyeliner, making it look chinkier; her short white dress topped with collage-style coat and paired with loud collage pump made her even more noticeable and likable. Sora asked her to wear square-shaped sunglasses as soon as they leave the house; she immediately put it on as the front door swung open. Both of them were escorted by her manager Jungmo and her in disguise partner a.k.a Driver Park as few reporters were already clamoring outside her house, waiting to get a scoop on how the new actress from overseas looks like.

In about thirty minutes, they arrived at the company premises. Unfortunately, more media men were flocked at the entrance of the building.

While everyone were having a mini meeting inside the van on how to get Hakyung out the vehicle and into the building without her getting bruised, a person familiar to both Jungmo and Sara knocked at the front passenger’s seat window, which apparently made both of them jump off their seats.

“Jinyoung?” Jungmo frowned as lowered  his window. “What are you doing here?”

“Why is the press acting like this early in the morning?”

“You don’t know?” Sara asked from the backseat.

Jinyoung turned his attention to Sara and noticed the undefined person she’s seating with. “How am I supposed to know? I’ve been filming nonstop lately.”

“Can you help us get her inside the building, then?”

“’kay.” He nodded without hesitancy. “I guess you need to remove your heels or run with it.”

Jinyoung walked to the opposite side of the van and opened the door. He grabbed Hakyung’s hand hand, dragged her out, and ran towards a direction Hakyung she have never taken before. She let him drag her around like she’s a dog on leash until they ran through a small door, which led them in a deserted hallway near the lobby of the building.

Jinyoung dragged her to a nearby wooden chair, pushed her down to sit, and just then, loosen the grip off Hakyung’s hand.

“Does it hurt?”

Hakyung shook her head, pretending that she’s fine and the sore on her foor doesn’t hurt, though she could have seriously killed the man if only her gun was with her. Jinyoung knelt, held Hakyung’s left shoe, and removed it. He checked at the back part of her foot and saw the bruise caused by the shoe.

“Tsk.” Jinyoung moved her feet in a circular motion and heard a few cracking sounds. He shook his head then looked at Hakyung “You’re not used to high heels, are you?”

Insulted, Hakyung pulled back her feet, removed her other shoe, grabbed the other one which Jinyoung removed and started walking away from him “What do you know about high heels and the pain that comes with it? I bet you wear them too.” She said plainly as she continuously limp away from him.

“I wear lifts!” Jinyoung exclaims. “And thank you! I am thanking myself in your behalf!”

Luckily, Hakyung found her way to the lobby where Jungmo and Sora were waiting for her and Jinyoung to show up.

“Where’s Jinyoung?”

“I don’t know.” She responded disinterested.  

“Well, he knows his way around anyway.” Jungmo’s attention was drawn to her feet. “What happened to your shoes?”

“I got serious cut at the back of my feet so I had to walk around like this.”

Sora sighed. “I’ll go get something flat. I can’t believe this is happenening.”

“You better get medication first, eonnie”

She nodded. “Okay, I’ll go get them as fast as I can. I’ll see you both later.”

Jungmo nodded.

Hakyung, on the other hand, said “Take care on your way, eonnie”

“Let’s go now, Hakyung-ssi”

“You call me Hakyung from now on, oppa.” Hakyung turned to him.

Jungmo stood there surprised that it temporarily disabled his ability to react.”Uh—well, just get on my back since you can’t walk without your shoes on. And with that kind of sore.” Jungmo knelt on the ground, waiting for Hakyung to get on her back.

She shook her head, “I can walk…” Her words were cut off when someone suddenly lifted her off the ground, carrying her bridal style.  Her temperament rose when she saw the person who did such an act. “…put me down or I’ll kill you.”

Jungmo panicked and didn’t know what to do. He took his phone in attempt to call Moon but he knew that wouldn’t help either. Moon already left for an urgent job. He had to do something…

“Just stay still and bear with it for a while.” Jinyoung smiled. “You’re a woman, you should not walk without your pride.”