Myungsoo wakes up to an email from his boss, saying that every few days he has to write a report on his findings about Lee Sungyeol. It has to be turned in to his front desk as soon as Myungsoo gets to work and he’s tempted to email back with a short and simple “ you”, but he’d really get fired then and he hasn’t even attempted any so-called research on Sungyeol.

Research.

Myungsoo wants to faceplant into his bowl of cereal and perhaps cry into it, but he just settles with pushing it away and tossing his spoon into it rather forcefully, milk spilling out.

He doesn’t know how he’s going to do this. According to the calendar on his phone, Sungyeol has a guesting on Star King today. Having trailed a fair bit of idols in the years he’s been working at the company, Myungsoo knows that takes hours and hours and he really doesn’t want to spend his day sitting outside a building just to wait for Sungyeol to come out. And then what’ll he do? Purposely trip him and try to figure out if he has something incriminating in his pockets? Outright ask him about his lovelife? He’s going to get ignored. Or worse—he probably has bodyguards and Myungsoo does not want to get on their bad side.

“Why me?” Myungsoo mumbles, burying his face into the arms he folds onto the table. “Why does it have to be Lee Sungyeol?” he whispers.

Even though he doesn’t agree with doing this to anyone anyway, he thinks it would be a hell of a lot easier if it was anyone but Sungyeol.

Something furry brushes up against his leg and Myungsoo reaches down, picking up Rin and setting the feline in his lap. “You must have it so easy,” he mutters, running his fingers through her fur.

Rin meows, curling up into a ball.

Myungsoo snorts. “Exactly.” He picks her up and stands, pushing his chair in. Rin crawls onto his shoulder and perches herself there, Myungsoo resisting the urge to roll his eyes, and he smiles as he gives her a gentle scratch behind the ears. “I guess I’m off to my doom,” he replies, putting his bowl into the sink. He can clean it when he gets home. If he makes it home.

“Keep the house safe, alright?” He can’t believe he’s actually talking to a cat, but right now she’s really all he has. He walks into the living room and sets her down on the couch.

“Wish me luck,” he says to a mostly silent house, but a purr rings out and he laughs, slipping on his shoes as he grabs his camera bag and heads out the door.

His laugh fades as he closes it and swallows, fingers tightening around the strap to his bag.

Off to his doom.

An hour later brings Myungsoo sitting outside the SBS building behind a row of bushes with his camera beside him and a volume of Orange Marmalade in his lap (in his defense, there is no way he was going to sit out here all day doing nothing, so at least he has some entertainment) as he waits for Sungyeol.

He still can’t believe he’s actually going to do this.

His phone buzzes in his pocket and Myungsoo prays it’s his boss, telling him the assignment is off and instead he has to go to some other movie premiere and find out something about not well known actors or actresses. Anything would be better than this.

Taking his phone out, Myungsoo then can’t help but pout at the screen as it’s Sungjong. He and Sungjong have known each other since they were kids—they were neighbors and classmates, and have been friends ever since. For some reason, Sungjong still sticks around him, even with Myungsoo’s constant griping about his job.

How’s the operation going?

Myungsoo sighs. It’s a bit warm today, warmer than it has been, and he’s not looking forward to spending most of the day out in the sun. What if he dies of a heatstroke?

ty, how else do you expect it’d go? he texts back, turning the page to his manhwa.

It’s not long before he gets a reply back and he wonders if Sungjong actually ever does his job—he works at some fashion company and Myungsoo’s never been interested in fashion (as evidenced by the black t-shirt, ripped jeans, and worn out black hat he has on right now; it’s comfy and that’s all that matters to him) so more often than not does he zone out when Sungjong’s talking about it.

for you~ but really, I hope everything goes well. :(

He manages a smile. Thanks. Tomorrow’s Friday, wanna come over?

Can’t. :( Have a super important speech to write for a showcase we’re having. Some other time, though, I miss you hyung!

Myungsoo snorts. Miss you too, Sungjongie~

He places his phone on the ground beside him and leans his head against the wall behind him, resisting the urge to just scream. The area around the building is deserted and it’s...so silent outside. There aren’t even any birds chirping.

Myungsoo glances back down at the manhwa in his lap and turns the page again, not really paying attention to what he’s reading. He just wants to get this over with. Maybe he should just go back home and wallow in his misery. He only has to write a report every few days, what his boss doesn’t know won’t hurt him.

Just as he’s about to start packing up, he hears footsteps and voices. He freezes in his spot behind the bushes, curling up his legs a little bit so they don’t stick out at the end.

The voices get clearer and he recognizes one from anywhere: Sungyeol. He scrambles quietly to take out his camera, cursing under his breath as the cap on the lens isn’t cooperating with him today.

Everything stops for a second and Myungsoo tenses again, biting his lower lip.

It’s not long before a shadow suddenly looms over him, the sun shining down on him disappearing.

.

“Well, well,” Sungyeol murmurs, raising an eyebrow. “What do we have here?”

Myungsoo swallows, clutching his camera to his chest. He thinks his heart is about to explode. , this is exactly the reason why he’s not cut out for this—he’s not stealthy at all. He shoves his phone into his pocket and begins trying to put his camera into his bag as carefully yet quickly as possible.

“Did you take any?” Sungyeol snaps. “Do you have any idea how vile this is? Taking pictures of celebrities wherever they are, even outside of a station building?”

Myungsoo’s not in the mood for another lecture from Sungyeol, and he stands up, dusting stray leaves and grass off of his jeans.

“I can have you arrested for stalking,” Sungyeol continues, and that’s when Myungsoo feels his body turn numb.

Arrested. Hah, wouldn’t that be a hilarious thing to happen.

“Scared, aren’t you? Now you know how idols and actors feel when you trail them with a camera day after day, trying to destroy their lives just to get some gossip,” Sungyeol snaps.

But he doesn’t understand—

“L-look, I won’t...I’ll stay away, alright?” Myungsoo can’t believe he’s actually stuttering. There’s a voice in his head telling him this would be the perfect story: Actor Lee Sungyeol blows up at a reporter (albeit one that works for a tabloid magazine), where’s his sweet image now? but he pushes it away with the guilt eating at his stomach.

Sungyeol snorts. “Like I’ll believe that.”

“Yah, Sungyeol! Stop giving the guy the time of day!”

Myungsoo glances behind Sungyeol to catch sight of a shorter man, with dyed red hair and small eyes. If Myungsoo recalls correctly, trying to remember the information in the folder his boss had given him, that’s his manager, Kim Sunggyu.

“Leave him alone or I will have you arrested.” Sunggyu is suddenly way closer than he was before and Myungsoo takes a step back, thankful for the bushes in between them. “Stop harassing him,” Sunggyu hisses. “People like you are—”

“Disgusting. Yeah,” Myungsoo finishes quietly, zipping his camera bag and pulling it on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, I’ll never bother you again,” he says and actually gives a low bow, not giving the two any time to speak before he walks off, his pace soon turning into a sprint. He tries not to glance behind him; he doesn’t want to see the looks of loathing he knows is on their faces, he doesn’t want to let himself believe that Sungyeol’s manager is going after him right now—

And he’s telling a lie, he knows, but what is he supposed to say? Stand his ground and say it’s his job to do this like it’s Sungyeol’s job to entertain people? He thinks Kim Sunggyu would’ve punched him then, and the last thing he wants is some sort of bruise on his face.

He knows the end of this month is not going to end well.

Myungsoo would be lying if he said he didn’t spend the rest of his day on his couch, wearing sweatpants instead of jeans and watching some drama on television as he shovels ramen into his mouth and really does wallow in his own misery.

Sungyeol has a radio show to go to tomorrow and Myungsoo’s torn on whether or not he should go. He knows he shouldn’t, but if he has nothing to turn into his boss, he’s done for. If he’s unemployed, he can’t make the rent for his apartment. His mother is in a home, it’s not like he can stay with her. His brother has his own life down in Ulsan and hasn’t spoken to him in years, and he’s probably the last choice on Myungsoo’s list. With the way it is now, it could take Myungsoo weeks or even months to get a new job. He’s been so sure he would be able to keep this one, so then what?

Myungsoo sets his now empty bowl on the table in front of him, raising his arms and stretching.

It’s unfair, that just one person can send everything to hell. Why is it so hard to get something on Sungyeol? Numerous idols are reckless and don’t pay attention to where they go or what they do under dim lights, leaving the perfect chance for Myungsoo to get a good story.

But Sungyeol is different. Sungyeol is private, too private. How is he going to catch him unawares and get the ideal picture? How is he going to keep his job if he can’t even get a goddamned picture of a celebrity?

Myungsoo falls over onto his side and groans loudly into a couch cushion, wanting to stomp his feet childishly and throw a tantrum.

He thinks this is where he’s starting to regret getting that degree in journalism. He could’ve done anything else. He’s pretty damn good at mathematics, he could’ve ended up teaching it or something. In college, he had been told he had a knack for business.

Yet what did he do?

Myungsoo really does begin to stomp his feet childishly, groaning into the cushion again.

Rin peeks up at him from her place on the floor, tilting her head.

“Daddy’s having problems,” Myungsoo explains with a sigh, reaching down to run his fingers through her fur. “I wish I was a cat. Like you,” he mumbles. “People pet you all the time and you don’t have anything to worry about. No deadlines, no having to take pictures...”

(Myungsoo’s not going to bring up how more than one person has mentioned how much he looks like a cat. Never.)

Rin meows and leans up into his touch.

If this was some manhwa, Myungsoo knows a witch would show up and turn him into a cat. He honestly wouldn’t care if it was some sort of curse that had to be broken so he can learn some lesson or another, anything would be better than having to do this assignment.

The clock above his television reads half past eleven and Myungsoo knows he should get some sleep. He has a report to fake about Sungyeol tomorrow—he knows his height alone would give him away in a swarm of fangirls outside of a radio station—and he needs to get as much sleep as possible before he starts writing lie after lie.

He wishes things were different.