“Are you for real?”

                “Totes.”

                “He hired you? Just like that?” Tao said, stirring his mug of hot chocolate as he sat on the couch. I had just gotten home a few hours ago and told him of my interview.

                “Yeah. He said he liked the fact that I wasn’t scared of him. He needed someone as fearless as he is to work with him.” I hovered my finger across Tao’s laptop as I typed in what I needed to search for in the search engine.      

                “What did he say?”

                “Well, basically he told me that he was a workaholic and pretty psychotic about coffee. He’s high-strung, temperamental, high maintenance, flies all over the world whenever he wants and has connections with the mafia of Seoul.”

                “We don’t have mafias.”

                “Whatever,” I waved my hand carelessly. “He fires people at the snap of a finger and curses like a bloody sailor with a kink for .”

                “Dude,” Tao sputtered into his mug. “Is he trying to scare people or turn them on?”

                “I know right?” I laughed. “I just sat there in my chair like a stoned person mostly because I was too scared to move and also if I stood up he could see my .”

                Tao laughed loudly. “Seriously?” he put his mug down. “What are you looking for anyways?”

                “Since I’m working for him I might as well do some research on him and Starling.” I said, typing away.

                “I’ve met some of their artists before.”

                “Really?”

                “Yeah.” Tao said, criss-crossing his legs in a yoga stance. “I’ve met Choi Minho the actor, and worked with Sunny, the company’s very first solo artist.”

                “According to the website here, Sunny looks very small and dainty.”

                “Don’t be fooled. It’s the little ones that pack a punch.” Tao warned. “I have a scar on my back that she bit into 3 years ago and it still hasn’t gone away.”

                “Feisty eh?”

                “Argh, I should have met Kris when I started working with them.” Tao said, flopping down and smothering himself with the pillow.

                “Who’s Kris?”

                “Your boss.”

                “Since when did we start calling him Kris?”

                “Since the thing popped up. Or should we call him something else?”

                “You call him whatever you want. I’m calling him Kranky Kris.” I smiled over my shoulder to my housemate whose face is still hidden by pillows. “You didn’t get to meet Kris when you started working with them?”

                “No. I almost did though.” Tao sat up. “I started working with Sunny for her music video Kungfu Hello Kitty 3 years ago. Kris wasn’t there so I was referred to his second in command, Colin, who I also call Creepy Colin.”

                Tao was checking his papers, going through the list of things he had to prepare for the music video. Creepy Colin could not stop following him like a puppy, his eyes hidden by Harry Potter glasses so thick it could magnify rays and burn down a building. His pants were hiked up, showing his knobbly knees and his hair parted in the terrible 90’s fashion of center parting. Yuck.

                “Hey Tao…”

                “That’s Mr. Huang to you.”

                “Right, sorry Mr. Huang.” Colin said, fixing his glasses. “May I just say that it is a pleasure to have you working with us.”

                “Uh huh. Same here.” Tao rolled his eyes, trying to get rid of Creepy Colin. But Creepy Colin walks fast.

                “Say, I know we just met. But uh, would you like to come over tonight to discuss the music video? I’ll make the cupcakes.”

                “Sorry, I don’t take gluten.” Tao lied.

                “That’s okay, neither do I.” Creepy Colin smiled, showing off his buck teeth. “I only eat gluten-free. I’m also lactose intolerant and I don’t take anything with colouring or preservatives and I take allergy pills.”

                “What are you allergic to?”

                “Everything but pollen.”

                Tao wanted to die. Literally.

                “Yes? I said sell the stocks! And buy the other one I previously mentioned!” a deep, booming voice appeared from behind Tao. Tao flipped his head to find the source of the voice and all he could see is a tall man with blonde hair, talking on the phone, his back facing Tao as he towards the elevator.

                “Who’s that?” Tao asked.

                “That’s our CEO, Kris Wu.”

                Tao tried to catch a glimpse of Kris’s face. He swerved left and right, narrowly avoiding innocent staff workers. He had just gotten a peek at Kris’s left profile and BAM! He knocked into the letter boy’s cart a few feet away from the front of the elevator and was sprawled all over the floor.

                “Mr. Huang!”

                “Ouch…” Tao groaned. He could see Mr. Elusive CEO get into the elevator in front of him. He lifted his head and saw a pair of shiny leather shoes before him. Then, the door closed.

                “So all you saw was his shoes?” I asked.

                “Yeah. His 2000 USD Giorgio Armani shoes. I should have lifted my head to see him a little more. He sounds so hot!”

                “You could just surf the internet for how he looks like.”

                “Nuh uh,” Tao shook his head. “Right now, I have a mental image on how this man should look like. If he doesn’t meet up to my expectations, I would be so devastated. So to prevent that, I’m keeping the romantic image of me on the floor staring at his shoes until I can meet him face to face.”

                “That image doesn’t sound very romantic.”

                “Unfortunately my life is not a Nicholas Sparks novel.” Tao groaned.

                “So BxL is Starling Entertainment’s very first duo.” I read off the internet. “It comprises of Byun Baekhyun and Luhan. Byun Baekhyun is Korean whereas Luhan was born in China but raised mostly in South Korea. Their first single I Luh Ya Gurl was a big success, making them the ones to watch in the industry.”

                “And?”

                “They swept up every New Artist award in both China and Korea and their second single Girls Love Me, And The Boys Ain’t Far Behind went viral on Youtube.”

                “Play the video and see.”

                I clicked the link and we both watched it. The video was hilarious and definitely inappropriate for minor audiences. The two boys were in a club with girls all over them and men who claim to be straight were also sitting there watching them, taking out their phones to film them. The highlight was when Baekhyun sung his high note, which actually shattered the glass and caused the fire alarm to go off, spraying the club in with water, drenching the girls and of course the boys. They made the classic y faces with their lips parted and as they wiped their jaw lines and then the boys in the club went mad as they started clamouring for Luhan and Baekhyun.

                “Woah…” was my only response. The only one that was coherent at least.

                “The song is kinda catchy though.” Tao just bopped his head.

                “So this is the kind of music our generation is heading towards to?”

                “Oh yeah. Nowadays if you say you can get the girls, it’s not enough.” Tao said. “The best kind of appeal is the universal kind. If you can make a both es lust for you, you’re the hottest person alive. Straight is out, biual is in.”

                “Guess I have been out of the entertainment league longer than I thought.” I scratched my head.

                "I’ll leave you to finish your research. I’m gonna call it a day.”

                “Goodnight.” I said, scrolling down on his laptop. And I end the night with videos of their live performances, random interviews and a video of them playing a game dressed as chickens.

                                                                                ****************

                “Over there is the video editing room. Above us we have 3 more recording studios and over there are 2 big dance studios on this floor.”

                “I see.” I hustled to keep up with Kris as he showed me around on my first day. I was given an iPad to work with and record of all his contacts, clients and meeting dates. I was expected to go through all this stuff at some point but so far I haven’t found the time.

                “Have you done your research on my artists?”

                “Yes I have sir.”

                “Good, then I expect you to stay on your feet while we have our meeting. We’re discussing BxL’s new single.”

                “But Girls Love Me, and The Boys Ain’t Far Behind just came out 6 months ago.”

                “So? 6 months is old stuff. We gotta keep putting out new stuff or risk being forgotten. Keep up young man.”

                “But do they have enough time?”

                “Yixing, time is always on our side. We just have to know when to make them.” Kris turned a corner and we came to a dance studio. Just two sharp knocks and he opened the door and entered the room like he owns the place.

                Oh wait, he does.

                “Alright guys! Cut the music!” Kris yelled over the booming music and someone immediately shut the music off. Two figures turned to face us and I had to gasp a little. It was Luhan and Baekhyun, the power duo BxL. It all feels a little weird though. I just spent last night watching a video of them in chicken suits eating burgers and now I’m meeting them in real life.

                “Guys, this is my new personal assistant, Yixing. Yixing, as you know, this is Luhan and Baekhyun.”

                “Nice to meet you.” We greeted each other. Baekhyun was shorter compared to his videos, but he had the same radiant smile. Luhan was skinnier in person, but he still retained his androgynous beauty. Is this really what the world has come to? Boys looking like girls are the new hot item?

                “Get your asses ready. We’re having a meeting about your next single in 10 minutes.”

                “So soon? But we’re in the midst of rehearsing for our performance in China.” Luhan said.

                “Time is money and if you don’t hurry I won’t be making any, so move it.” Kris waved them away. The duo just shrugged and carried on. It looks like they have been more than used to this particular lifestyle.

                Kris and I left the room and made our way to the conference hall. Along the way I peered down through the glass window and I could see a crowd of people outside the building, waiting by the doors.

                “What’s all these people doing here?”

                “They are fans, probably waiting for some sighting of BxL.” Kris said. We rode down the elevator to the first floor and walked past the front entrance. The girls screamed and clamoured at the sight of someone passing by and pressed their faces tightly against the glass.

                “Oh my god!! Someone’s coming!!!”

                “Ouch, stop pushing!!! You’re breaking my nose!” one boy with dark hair and big eyes pushed the girls behind him as he tried to fit his DSLR camera in between him and the glass. Kris saw my shocked expression and pulled me aside.

                “Get used to it. This is what you’ll be seeing every day.”

                “Don’t these people have anything else to do? Don’t they have a life?”

                “This is their life.” He shrugged. I sighed and followed him.

                                                                                ****************

                “Alright, so we all know that your last single was a great success. It went viral on Youtube and everyone wants a piece of you.” Kris said, tapping his finger on the table as I sat next to him and took notes. Baekhyun and Luhan were sitting opposite one another as the door opened and another two more entered, both of which I have not met yet.

                “Finally. What took you two lovebirds so long?” Luhan said.

                “Sorry, Minnie insisted on having Italian food for lunch.” The guy with the skinnier face and protruding cheekbones said. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to find actual Italian food in this country?”

                “I’m still craving for the spaghetti we had in Rome during our honeymoon.” The other guy holding his hand answered.

              “Gee, I apologize on behalf of the South Korean food enterprises for the lack of Italian food in the neighbourhood.” Kris rolled his eyes. “What did you end up eating?”

                “Pizza Hut. The only pizza we can stand.”

                “Yixing, this is Kim Jongdae, our resident songwriter and Kim Minseok, our choreographer.” Kris introduced.

                “Also known as The Newlyweds to everyone else in the company.” Baekhyun teased.

                “That sounds about right, isn’t it Minnie?” Jongdae teased, leaning forward and peppering his husband’s cheek with a few million kisses.

                “Oh stop it you two!” Kris slammed his hand against the table. The newlyweds just smiled and turned their heads to face Kris.

                “Alright, so I think we should have another comeback. You know, striking while the iron is hot. And right now I can feel it burning in my palms.” Kris held up his hand.

                “Are you sure that has nothing to do with the fact that you just slammed your hand against the table?” Jongdae piped up, sending Minseok into a fit of giggles. I didn’t even need to look to know Kris was rolling his eyes.

                “Oh baby you are so funny!” Minseok gushed.

                “No, you’re funnier!”

                “No, you are!”

                “You are!”

                “You are!”

                “Oh Jesus Christ,” Kris groaned. “Remind me again why I didn’t fire you guys?”

                “Because we’ve been here since the company began and I have written more than 50 award-winning songs.”

                “I choreographed half of those award winning songs.”

                “And without us, your company’s a wash.” The couple high-fived each other.

                “Oh yeah.” Kris muttered. He sat straight up again. “Jongdae, do you have any new songs at your disposal?”

                “I do actually. It’s a soft, y ballad and meant to highlight Luhan and Baekhyun’s voices. Also, since Baekhyun has a lovely falsetto voice, we’ll finally get the chance to incorporate that in.”

                “When will we get to hear it?”

                “Once I’ve finished the final editing, which shouldn’t take long.”

                “Get it done by tomorrow 10.00. Sharp.” He looked at me and I nodded, taking down more notes.

                “Minseok? Choreography?” he asked.

                “Lucky for you I am married to one of the best songwriters of all time,” Minseok beamed. Jongdae looked back at him and made his kissy face again.

                “Awwwww, thank you baby.”

                “Love you too my little kitty. Muacks…”

                “Oh god,” Kris massaged his temples as I resisted the urge to laugh. Luhan simply rolled his eyes in annoyance.

                “Can you two please don’t do this? I just had a pudding for lunch and you don’t really want to see it on the table. Mahogany doesn’t really go with egg.”

                “Lighten up Luhan, I think it’s cute.” Baekhyun smiled.

                “I think it’s disgusting.” Luhan muttered, crossing his arms.

                “Enough!” Kris said. “Let’s try to finish this, okay? Minseok, you were saying?”

                “Well I’ve heard the song enough to come up with the perfect choreography. It’s y and suave and kind of subtle as well. We’re gonna need female dancers and possibly some drapes and curtains. Or maybe even a pole, I haven’t decided.” He shrugged, as if dancing with a pole is as common as having cheese on toast. Man, I really have been out of the league.

                “Nice. Gotta switch things up a bit. I’m sure the fans will appreciate a nice y concept. iness can’t go wrong.” Gee, maybe he didn’t see Lady Gaga’s recent works.

                “We’re also going to get Baekhyun to do the ad-libs…”

                “Again.” Luhan muttered under his breath quietly. He probably didn’t think anyone heard it, but I did.

                “Recording should start pretty soon. I’ve got some more new songs I’ve arranged.”

                “Good, let’s try and make this within 5 months.” I stare at Kris a little. And so did everyone else. Except they did a lot.

                “5 months?” Luhan went.

                “Isn’t that a bit rushed?” Baekhyun tried.

                “A little too rushed if you asked me.” Jongdae commented.

                “Like I said, we gotta strike while the iron is hot. I can’t just sit around and watch the flames go out, can I?” Kris said. “Come on come on, let’s not waste any time!” He snapped his fingers and we all stood up. “Oh! Before I forget, Luhan and Baekhyun, you guys have a commercial for Coca Cola tomorrow and a photoshoot for Harper’s Bazaar the day after that and another for Living Life after that.”

                “That makes 3 photoshoots in one day!” Luhan gasped.

                “And a radio interview later that night.” Baekhyun groaned.

                “Chop chop! Come one people, let’s go!” everyone exited the conference hall as Kris and I made our way up to his office.

                “Did you get the fruit bowl I asked?”

                “Yeah, it’s on your desk.”

                Kris peered into the bowl and scrunched his face. “Yuck! I don’t like grapes! Go get me a new bowl.”

                “Or you could just eat the others…” he gave me a look and I high-tailed it and ran out, a bowl of fruits in my hand as I try to eat some of the grapes and cherries. Waste not, want not.

                I can tell working here is not gonna be a bowl of fruit. Literally.

A/N: Some of you may know that I have the habit of updating on the same day every week, but this time around I decided that my updates would be on Tuesday or Thursday, just to give me s bit of time on deciding when I want to update. Today's update comes a bit early because of one person: Kris.

I am super-god-damn-stoked to hear that he is acting in a movie!!! He fought long and hard for this, endured countless bashing, overcame(or still is battling) a heart disease/condition, leaving 11 brothers he loves more than anything and spent many lonely nights to get here. He deserves to live out his dreams. Some of you may argue that he could have had this chance anyways if he stayed with SM but I say why bother digging and focusing on what could have happened? Let's just pray for the things that WILL happen, because they matter more than the past. At the end of the day, he got what he wanted, and that's success itself. For the most part at least. I am a bit nervous for the mediation, because it's still 50-50. It could still go either way, but I know whatever result that comes out, it will be for the best. 

On another hand, I am NOT HAPPY about those who bash Baekhyun and Taeyeon. Why would you do that?! Why would you hurt someone who's only crime is falling in love? I saw him on Inkigayo and he looked so meek and nervous, as if he was walking on a thin sheet of ice and there are a million monster fish below. This isn't the Baekhyun I know and love. I wanted to go over and shelter him, give him a hug or something. Some people are pissed that they are using their Instagram accounts to flirt but I personally don't see any anything wrong. I couldn't even tell at all anyways. When you're in love, sometimes all you want to do is just show off a little. If it were me I would be no different. My parents might even want to broadcast the news on a blimp for Lord's sake. If you don't support the relationship, it's fine, but just don't hurt them.

Negativity aside, here's to EXO's solo projects! They deserve every bit of happiness after all they have been through. I thank them for making me who I am and although we are just fans, our words and support means the world to them!

BTW, guitar playing Luhan will be my favourite thing for many many many many many months to come XD

Subbies, comments and upvotes are always welcomed!! Please leave them! Love you guys! XD