Kim Mae Ri

I browsed through my phone and opened my skype account. It's been a week since we last had a good chat. I searched for his name, Barry, and found him online. I was glad but something in my gut gives me a bad feeling. I pressed call.

Barry answered his phone. "Marie? What's up?" He with answered with a low voice.

"Hi, how have you been? I missed you. But why do you sound so low? I've been trying to reach you since last week." I tried to be cheerful.

"I... I've... I want to tell you something." Barry said.

"What is it? Did you miss me?" I forced a smile on my face.

"I... want to stop this." 

"What? Me studying here and going back there? You know I can't do that."

"It's not it, it was never that. You know I want you to reach your dream. It's just that..." He sighed.

"What is it? Cut your crap now and te-tell me." I stuttered.

I heard him inhale as if he wants to muster up all the courage. I grew worried.

"I want to break up with you." Barry, the love of my life and my boyfriend of 3 years, said.

I opened my eyes. My vision is blurry and my heart tightened. "Aish, it was just a dream. A crappy dream." I said to myself as I try to remove the tears from my eyes. I stared at the ceiling for a few seconds trying to collect myself. Then it strucked me, I am not in my bedroom. I looked at my clothes, my wallet, cigarettes and phone. They seem to be nothing missing. I looked at my surroundings, and placed my guard up. I grabbed the vase on the bedside table. I stood up and cautiously walked towards the living room. There it is, I saw a figure sleeping in the couch.

I walked towards him. I know this face anywhere. I stood there for a minute thinking about what to do. "He's my alien, Do Min Joon*. THE Kim Soo Hyun. But no, why am I even here. I can't let my fan feelings get the better of me. A maiden's body is more important." I tapped my head to wake up.

"Yah!" I poked him with the vase.

"Even if you do that manager Yoo, I still want to sleep." The person said while he his back.

I flinched for a moment. I surveyed the living room for a sign of somebody. Nobody is here but me. What the heck. How can a person sleep soundly with a stranger in the house?

I heard a song. It was familiar. Orange Caramel's Catallena? I snickered." Why would a man listen to such a cutesy song like this? Tsk tsk. Koreans and their aegyo." I moved my head sideways in a silent disapproval. I looked for the source and I saw a phone with a cracked screen on the table. "Someone's calling but really, how clumsy must this person be?"  I said to myself.

With his eyes closed, the man reached for his phone and answered it.

"Hyung, what is it?" He said with a husky and deep voice. He placed his right arm over his eyes. "I know, I was not sleeping." He added.

"I know, I'll be there." He blinked his eyes as if trying to get used to the light. He turned his head and saw me.

"YAH!!" I exclaimed while gripping the vase tightly and ready to strike.

He looked surprised, his eyes widened. He stood off the couch and distanced himself from me to defend himself. "Ah? No it's nothing. Hyung, I'll call you later... I know. See you." He hung up.

"What's wrong with you! You could've harmed me." He said raising his hands to fend me off.

"Where am I and why am I here with you?!" I protested.

"Have you forgotten? Well, you were really drunk so..."

"Yah, keep talking!"

"Yeah, you just fell asleep after vomitting in the street. I didn't even change your clothes, and you smell bad right now." He pinched his nose.

I sniffed my clothes and found out he was right, I smell like barf. "See I would never lie!" He added.

"But... but why am I here?" I said a bit relieved and ashamed but still pointing the vase to him.

"I told you! You were asleep. You can't even tell the name of your house so I brought you here in my house!" His eyes went to the phone in his hand. "Be- besides, you made me step on my phone."

"I..." I was at loss for words, I brought down the vase. He exhaled and felt relief.

"It's not my fault you stepped on your own phone, You're rich, I'm sure you can just buy a new one." I said as I surveyed his choice of furnishings in his modern and high-rise condo unit. Not bad, he's a man of taste.

"Rich people aren't made by being wasteful. I need you to pay me back." He walked towards me cautiously and grabbed the vase from my hand. "This is an expensive vase." He placed the vase on the table. "Now, give me your phone." He raised his hand and opened his palms.

"I'm not giving you my phone. It's not even the latest model." I protested.

"Just give it to me." He said.

I reached for my pants pocket and got my samsung galaxy duos phone in teal casing. He signaled for me to place the phone on his hand. "Aish. What a cheapskate." I said. He grabbed my phone and opened it.

"What's the password?" He said.

"Byul. (Star)" I said looking down. "Don't you dare look at my photos you creep."

"I know." He said. He clicked some things and I just watched him do whatever he wants. It . "You know just because you're Kim Soo Hyun doesn't mean you could ju-" I stopped as he gave my phone back. "What did you do?" I asked.

"You can't be too careful. Who knows if you took a picture of me or told your friends about staying here." He said with pride. "Now give me your wallet."

"Ahjussi, I don't have the money to pay you back. For your information, I'm a poor university student." I whined.

"Just give it to me." He started to feel annoyed. Ah, I guess it's true that people are short-tempered upon waking up, even for stars. I reached for my wallet and gave it to him.

He got it and looked for something. "Don't be a ert." I said as I stop every will of mine to kick him in the shin.

"I'll take your school ID as collateral, Kim Mae Ri-ssi." He said as he read my name. He read my name. He went to a table and got a pen, he motioned towards me. I stepped back. He's coming even closer. His face is just a few inches away from me.

"Ahjussi, please don't-" I tried to be assertive but this is every fangirl's dream!

"What are you thinking?"  He said as he stops. He raises his eyebrow. I can totally feel him judging me. He reached for my hand and wrote something, "Here's my manager's number. Call him to pay for my phone's damages AND if want to get your ID. Now you can go." He walked away and sat on the couch. "I saw that you have enough money for a taxi so I think you'll be alright." He turned towards me and I flinched. He then takes his phone and stares at it.

"Ah, okay... T-thank you Soo Hyun-ssi." I bowed slightly and went out.

"There's the door. Just take the elevator down, and I'm not an ahjussi." He said coldly while not looking at me.

"Ah, dehh." I walked out of his door. "Beep" The lock was activated. "So much for a fan's dream meeting." I walked towards the elevator and went on my way.

Kim Soo Hyun

"Ah, well that was over with." I said to myself.

I opened my phone and saw my missed calls. Suzy called me 8 times.

I sent her a message saying I had something came up last night. And that next time she should tell me if she's gonna be late.

I got up and went to my bedroom to get ready.

Kim Mae Ri

"Annyeong haseyo. I'm here because I left my ID." I said to my school security office and gave the disciplinary slip.

"Kim Mae Ri-ssi, how can you leave your ID for a week?" The school officer told me.

"I know, I'm sorry."

"You do know that you'll need to attend a seminar because of this?"

"Dehhh. Thank you, I just finished class. I'll be on my way." I bowed and went my way out. I went to the store near my school and bought some cigarettes. I lighted one of them and huffed the smoke.

"Mae Ri!" A voice called me. It was Choi Jinri, my good friend in school. She's one of the top students in my course and a pretty straight-up person in my opinion. I waved to her and she ran towards me. "You know you should stop smoking." She said.

"I know, I'll stop soon." I said. How can I stop when it's one of the things that can help me stop crying.

"I heard from the school ahjussi that you're in trouble. What happened?" She sounded worried.

"I left my ID." I said as I puffed the smoke.

"For a week?! How can a friend of mine be that stupid?"

"Yes. I know."

"What happened?" She sincerely asked and looks at me with those gleaming puppy eyes.

No, don't look at her Mae Ri. You can't tell her. YOU CAN'T TELL HER. If I tell her, she'll tell and blame Jong Suk and he will probably won't talk to me for a month. God knows I need a drinking buddy right now. So... there. Bringing into an agreement with myself, I sighed, "It's nothing, I'm just not feeling like myself." I said but avoiding her stare. Besides, if I stare at her, she'll know I'm lying.

"You know I can't drink but you could tell me whatever is in your mind." She said. I felt so touched to have a friend like her. My chinggu. "Ah wait! Before that, have you found an OJT?" She added.

"! I forgot about that! Aish!" I hit my head slightly. There's so much errands to do.

"You better find one or else you won't graduate on time." She pouted. "Maeri-ah, wait for me. I'm just gonna buy a drink inside." Jinri added as she went inside the store.

I got my phone and looked for that fated number. I bit my lip, will I try and call his manager? I closed my eyes and pressed call. RINGGG. I don't know if I want to call it but as I was about to press end, someone answered. I hesitatingly answered the phone. "Annyeong haseyo, I'm Kim Ma eri from Korea National University of Arts."

"Oh hello, I've been waiting for your call." The supposedly manager answered.

"You are?" I asked.

"Well, the university told my friend that he'll be getting some calls for OJT. I'm helping him out. We're short in people and in need right now for a drama production. Come in tomorrow at SBS studio 15 at 7:00am. We'll discuss the formalities and start working asap. Okay? I'm in a hurry now, so I'll just see you tomorrow." he said and hung up. I was trying to speak up but he just seemed to be in such a hurry.

Jinri came out of the store, "Mae Ri, let's go home." She said and walked forward. She turned and see me not following her. "What happened to you? Come on." She signaled. I tried to move my frozen self and managed to nod. She stared at me. I puffed the cigarette for the last time then it threw away.

I started to walk in her direction. I bit my lip and said to myself, "I think I just got an OJT effortlessly. Is this my lucky day? Am I hitting two birds with one stone?"