I shifted my weight awkwardly on the carpeted floor of YG's office, staring at that bigass robot in the corner who seemed to be mocking my current uncomfortable situation. The terse silence was suffocating and all my senses were forcing me to say or do something, anything. But all I could muster up was a cough that was barely above an audible whisper. 

This was YG's trick, making you stand there sweating buckets and having wild thoughts running through your wretched mind as he just went about with his usual business of reading reports and emails. I would rather suffering any decibel of yelling than this absolutely dreadful silence. 

Finally YG looked at me and I stared straight back at him, not wanting to reveal a single shred of nervousness or weaknesses. 

"So, what do you have to say Byul?"

"I'm not understanding your question sajangnim."

"Do you like Seunghoon?"

"Of course! For the past 4 years in fact!" That would have been my honest answer which would cost me my job. No way in hell would I admit to that. 

"No." I replied as firmly as I could, setting my jaw straight.

"Does Seunghoon likes you?"

"No," well that wasn't a lie.

"Both of you were in the same high school. You didn't mention that before." YG added in a stoic manner of fact tone which had sent shivers down many YG artistes' spines, in particular Seungri hyung's. 

"There wasn't a need to. We didn't know each other."

YG contemplated my answer thoughtfully and said,"I don't like my artistes and trainees to date. It's just gets messy and distracts everyone from the core business of music making." 

I nodded while he continued,"I employed you because you declared to be gay and will not fall in love with the boys. We needed female managers to handle the fans properly."

I looked at him and indicated my understanding of his words with a slight nod. 

"But I forgot the other side of the coin. The boys might fall in love with you." My nodding stopped as I could not comprehend what he was saying and I frowned in confusion. 

"I do not understand sajangnim.  No boy in the right mind would fall for me when I'm gay and look just like one of them." My voice rose up with incredulity.  

"Well, Seunghoonie's head wasn't always screwed on tightly in the first place. He's too emotional and sensitive. Perhaps I have misunderstood.  I hope." YG sighed.

"He just wanted to help.  He would have helped any other member of the staff in the same manner. That's Seunghoon si. What can I do to make things better?"

"Just let things pass. Winner hasn't debut yet so not much attention will be paid to this matter. Everything in this industry moves fast especially yesterday's news. Just make sure such things never happen again."

"Im sorry sajangnim. I will be careful next time," I punctuated my sentence with a bow. 

"You won't fall for any one of them right?"

I bit my inner cheeks and told the fattest lie ever to my boss. I wonder if that lie was successful as YG's face creased into a contemplative and skeptical frown.  He dismissed me off with a wave and I scurried off. 

Phew. That was close. I heaved heavily while waiting for the lift and was never happier to enter a lift when it finally arrived. As the numbers decreased on the screen, I couldn't help but think of ssajangnim's words. The boys falling in love with me? That would be the joke of the century. That would be more impossible than me becoming a hip hop rapper. Ok. Make that both impossible. 

The engine in my mind whirled as I thought of solutions to the current situation.  How to make my homoual act a more convincing one? Shave bald? More tattoos? Piercings? Get into bar brawls?

Then as the lift announced the designated floor, the best solution presented itself as a phone call from my beloved cousin.

"Onni! What's going on? You dating that skinny boy from Winner? daebak!"

"Shut up Park Jini. Where are you? I need your help."

"Am at Hongik packing up."

"Stay there, I'm coming over," I placed the phone in my pocket and gave myself a mental pat on the shoulder for being such a genius as I hobbled on my crutches.

"Where is that girl going with a broken leg? Aish!" Seunghoon muttered curses under his breath as he spotted a hobbling Byul making her way out. He was torn between running after her and staying in the room for practice.  

"What are you looking at?" Mino queried while munching on a banana. 

"Nothing. Nothing. Just nothing. Let's start again." Seunghoon turned around to face his fellow rapper and screeched,"that's mine! Aish!" 

"Mianhe hyung," Mino squirmed while chomping the last bit of that tasty fruit and grinning widely. 

HONGDAE

"Over here onni!" 

"Jini,"I placed my crutches beside the table and sat on the wooden chair across from my favourite, well only cousin,"I need your help."

"My my... am I hearing things? You asking ME for help?!"

I scrowled and raised my eyebrow,"Well, if you're not helping, then say goodbye to your weekly pocket money!"

Jini grabbed my hands and cuddled them disgustingly against her cheeks. "Anything for you my dear onni!"

"Jini, I need you to be my girlfriend."