Chapter 1

Okay, just breathe.  I don’t even know what happened but I have to remember to breathe.  It all happened so quickly.  I can’t seem to get over it.  At one point everything seemed like it was going the way things were supposed to.  Just got recognition for work that I have done, expanded my contacts to the fashion, food, and social world.  I was just given a new project and the next thing I know I am fired. 

Breathe.  A word that wasn’t going through Ninomiya’s head, let alone being done correctly.  He just didn’t understand.  Everything was going fine.  He couldn’t think of a reason why something like this could occur.  Working so hard for the past few months, meeting the right people he was supposed to, everything looked like it was set into place. 

NInomiya knew he was good at what he did.  The boy easily talked to people, got them intrigued in projects, and introduced them to other like minded people.  This is what he was hired to do damn it and he knew that Public Relations wasn’t going to be an easy job, but he has learned and adapted.  Just last week he was told that he had made the most improvement and a promotion was on the horizon.

“Alright, where did I go wrong…?” Ninomiya muttered as he walked his way through downtown Seoul.

Replaying through his head the events of the day, he remembered going through his messenger bag and taking out his notes in his office.  His bulletin board has all his plans for a gala idea that was given to his group of PR workers to create.  Each individual was to create a theme that would give Style Korea an image that was inviting, fashionable and invigorating.  Getting ready for his presentation in the next hour Ninomiya made his way to the board room with his things.

 Walking through the room he remembered being mortified by seeing his female co-worker whom he had lunch with once (to be honest though, he couldn’t particularly remember her name) with the exact same ideas on her presentation which she was already presenting.

Remembering the exact moment his heart hit the bottom of his stomach as he watched the girl talk about the elegant creams to be laid out across the tables, the push of pastel blues and pinks, and a theme of innocence that he himself had created come out of this girl’s mouth made Ninomiya see red. 

After this feeling of rage, clapping could be heard.  The look of the head of the PR department looked brightly at Ninomiya and all the young man could do was walk and open his presentation.  He sputtered the little he put together.  He remembered the filing out of the other workers, the allegations of lack of creativity, and stealing others ideas.  Ninomiya wasn’t given a warning, but was made an example.  He was thrown out of the board room and told to pack up his office.

And with the box of small trinkets and office supplies, Ninomiya found himself plopped on a bench outside of his apartment complex.  He didn’t even want to think about going up those flights of stairs yet.  Heck he didn’t even want to think about his apartment.  Ninomiya didn’t have the money for rent.

“I need to pay that credit card bill… I paid rent for this month but how about next month?  I am regretting getting mom and dad that new sofa…  That student loan payment, how could I forget about that payment?  I could always apply for that other job with Vogue.  I mean I do have the credentials to work over there now that I have been with Style for a bit over a year….” 

Ninomiya paced back and forth across the apartment building doors mumbling to himself, trying to figure out what to do.  A few residents stared at him wondering if he was okay, but Ninomiya wasn’t in a place to really care about what other people thought.

The box of trinkets hit the floor as he struggled through his pockets to open the apartment door.  Shaking his head furiously and letting out a small growl to try to contain himself.

“I can’t ask my parents… They already struggle enough…”  Ninomiya’s thoughts took over as he sighed and bit his bottom lip, teeth making its way through his non-existent top lip.   He made his way through the doors of the apartment complex.

Walking up the stairs, heavy box in hands, Ninomiya started to remember a time where he couldn’t see himself working in Public Relations in the Fashion Industry.  He always wanted to be a performer.  The boy always had a decent voice, could keep to a beat, and the obvious charisma to talk to people.  A small smile crossed his face as he remembered getting accepted into Seoul’s Fine Arts Institute.  He spent a year there after he had graduated high school. 

But the weight of his memories started to grow heavy as he remembered why he first started Public Relations work.  An arranged marriage gone wrong.  Money was never a thing Ninomiya knew to have.  His parents were disinherited and forced to work any job they could find because they didn’t have many credentials.  The unity of a Japanese and Korean family that was promised to bring in great fortune turned into one family paying the other’s debt, leaving Ninomiya and his parents nothing at all. 

It started out as a way to help pay the bills.  It made money part time as he went to school.  Started paying off student loans, and he was able to help pay a portion of house upkeep.  But then came the time where Ninomiya had to move out.  The living area was too small, and they were paying rent to an old woman who shouldn’t have had renters to begin with.

  It came too much to bear.  Rent, food, bills, school loans, his parent’s bills and livelihood seemed to depend on his part time paycheque.  So much so that he had to drop out and pursue the job full time.

And it wasn’t bad.  The job paid well, it got him to places he couldn’t have imagined of going to.  Fashion shows, theatre performances, parties at exclusive clubs, it allowed Ninomiya to be social and earn his piece in a very fashionable way. 

It just… wasn’t what he dreamed of doing.  No matter how glamourous his PR job was, he always envied watching the actors, the singers, the dancers, THE IDOLS.  How Ninomiya envied the idols.  Everything that he wanted to do could be summed up in the word IDOL.  It didn’t usually pay as much unless you had a huge company to sponsor you and you were successful but Ninomiya used to think he had what it took to make it. 

Looking up from his thoughts the young man realized he had made it to the front of his apartment.  Golden hands drop the box beside the door and make their way to a blue fabric messenger bag.  Coca-Cola eyes determinedly glisten as they try to find the set of keys which magically seem to make their way into view hidden behind a bottle of lotion and aspirin.

Unlocking the door and kicking the door open, the young man bends down to grab the box and feels a vibration in his pocket.  Not wanting to let the person wait, Ninomiya quickly nudges the box into his apartment and shuts the wooden entrance to his home. 

To say that he was happy to see his parents calling him to see how he was doing would’ve been a lie.  Just like the few he would have to make up to convince his parents that he was okay…                          

                It’s been two and a half weeks.  He couldn’t breathe.  Ninomiya was in quite a pickle.  He couldn’t believe that it was this hard to find a job.  It didn’t occur to him that his job was one in a million until that very moment where he realized his qualifications didn’t really get him very far.

                He didn’t have enough senior experience to get that job at Vogue, yet he was overqualified to work as a sales representative at a department store.  Ninomiya lacked a degree and proper experience for Visual Merchandising.  It seemed like anything related to his work he didn’t have enough training for, or had too much training in. 

                “I never realized this was going to be this hard…” 

                The thought escaped his mind as time was just ticking away.  The stack of bills sitting on his kitchen island were eating the back of his mind.  It was really all the poor boy could think about.

                “I’ve gotten 3 letters asking for payments to water, heat, and student loans… rent is due next week… and that normal 500,000 Won for my parents to help with their bills has already been sent but how am I going to afford groceries?…”

                Downtown Seoul had never looked so intimidating.  Walking out of a Jewelry Store that was looking for someone to help with advertising, to Ninomiya’s dismay it turned out they were looking for a graphic designer to help with their website.  It was his sixth interview that week...  the young man couldn’t believe it.  He still wasn’t hired.

                Of course, he couldn’t really blame himself.  Ninomiya knew it wasn’t going to be easy.  It was just… the man needed the money.  He didn’t know how he was going to afford to live the next month. 

                With a few deep breathes Ninomiya tried to compose himself.  “This isn’t going to work if all I am going to do is hyperventilate.  I need a distraction…”  The young man thought to himself and remembered he was in one of the busiest cities in the world.  All he had to do was look up. 

                Looking across the busy streets of the city, he could see life in front of him.  A couple walking out of a restaurant presumably just finishing a lunch date hailing a cab.  A small group of teenagers that Ninomiya couldn’t relate to as they ran by him throwing things and yelling profanities at each other.  It gave him time to smile seeing that even though he was having a rough time, at least people were still able to live their lives.

But then he saw a homeless person on the corner, asking for people to help him buy some food.

                The thought sent shivers down Ninomiya’s spine.  It was wrong to think that he himself would ever have to stoop that low, but he didn’t think he had the lack of pride to go back to his parents again.  They just depended on him too much and as much as he knew they cared… he just couldn’t bear to see those faces take him back in again.  Because than it would be because he failed.  He couldn’t make it out in this world that seemed to be too cruel to those that didn’t even do anything wrong.

                “Just one step at a time… it’ll work out.”  The young man reminded himself.

                He had another interview in an hour but he felt dejected and out of place.  Looking down at his shoes and seeing the small scuff mark made him feel inadequate.  If he had learned anything from PR work at a fashion magazine, it was that everything must be put into place.  The image of his tired self looking back at him through a store window made him cringe. Wrinkled white shirt, scuffed shoes, and eye bags were not an appealing look on him.

                “I need a coffee…”  Ninomiya dejectedly groaned as he readjusted his messenger bag and tried his best to straighten out his shirt. 

                Looking at his watch to see how much time he had left before his interview, and looking to see how far the building was from the coffee shop he realized he was a lot closer than he thought he was.

                “At least something is going right.”  Ninomiya murmured as he gave himself a soft smile. 

                Turning to enter the coffee shop, he finds himself abruptly pushed to the floor, all his resumes falling to the ground.

                “Or not…” 

                Looking up he could see a man masterfully holding a coffee cup looking at him.  The classic black suit and red tie made the man look sleek and important. It was as if his decisions could make or break somebody’s life.  The eyes of the man were full of worry, and maybe a bit of confusion.

                “Are you okay?” The man asked.  The voice was deep, velvety, yet had a tinge of boyish innocence.  In Ninomiya’s opinion if he hadn’t been having a bad day he would’ve thought the man was quite good looking.  Wait, was he thinking about the appearance of the man that just pushed him to the ground?

                “Do you need any help?”  The man asked once more, genuine worry in his big doe like eyes throwing Ninomiya out of his reverie.

                Ninomiya didn’t even notice he was staring.  He sputtered as he looked around to see that a few of his resumes blew away, a cover letter was stuck in a plant in front of the cafe, and business cards everywhere.

Sputtering and blushing, he tried his best to pick everything up because he must’ve looked like an idiot sitting there the whole time.

                “I-I-I’m f-fine…”  Ninomiya managed to spit out after some time. He was already on all fours trying to make sure he could pick as much of his stuff up before anything else blew away.

                Before Ninomiya could remember to even say a word, he looked up to see the man was already down on one knee, suavely picking up some papers and a business cards.

                “You work for Style… Ninomiya is it?”  The man asked, staring at the business card but not really looking at the papers he picked up.   

                “Worked…”  Ninomiya meekly offered, as he took his cover letter off of the plant.  “Past tense.  Thus all those papers in the wind with my work history on them.”  Ninomiya could feel the start of a headache from remembering that he was still unemployed and he had things to pay for that were haunting him.  It didn’t help that he didn’t have his coffee and the clock was ticking to get to his next appointment. 

                The man looked at Ninomiya slightly amused. “How’d you get fired?” 

                Taken aback, Ninomiya let out a few indignant noises and just paused to glare at the man.  It didn’t help that the headache was getting the better of him. 

                “And why does it matter to you?”  Ninomiya barked pointedly trying to grab a resume that got caught on a breeze.  He didn’t really like that this man was asking him questions that really didn’t concern him.   

                It didn’t help that the man was now standing and Ninomiya now had to make his way up from the ground for his point seem more concise.

                Still quite amused, the tall man slightly tilts his head seeing he had hit a nerve.  “Well what if I told you that we had a PR job open and had interviews today?”

                Ninomiya’s eyes widened as he stood up straight holding the papers and few business cards to his chest, not really caring that there were still papers flying across the streets.  He wanted to smile but the smug look on the other man’s face made a little unsettled.

                “What makes you think I would even want to work for you?  You think just because you’re in a suit, I’m going to fall for the flash?  What if you’re a scam artist or something?”  Ninomiya felt a bit indignant.  He knew he should be jumping at the opportunity, but this man not only pushed him to the ground, he was now asking him questions like it was all a game. 

                The way the man’s eyebrow quirked sent a shiver down Ninomiya’s spine.   

                “For someone that used to work PR you sure don’t know who you’re talking to...”  The man smiled taking out a business card of his own and handed it over to Ninomiya.  “Choi Minho, at your service.  Visual and Concept head of KRTV.  We’re Korea’s biggest cable network showing off a variety of programs.  With that said, we do need a wonderful PR staff to ensure everything goes smoothly.”

                Ninomiya’s mouth gaped for a bit.  Choi Minho was a prodigy in his field.  Youngest Visual Concept head in all of Korea in the last half a century was what everyone was saying.

He quickly regained his composure, but the look that Minho gave him after seeing that glimpse of amazement didn’t settle in his stomach right.

                “So you’re hiring…. and you’ve seen my resume.”  Ninomiya stated.  He didn’t know where he wanted this to go, but he thought if he talked slowly and concisely it might just fall into place.

“I am in need of a job…. and you’re in need of a PR person.”  Ninomiya slowly iterated, not feeling he was at a point where he should be ASKING for a job… yet.

                The taller man loomed his way around Ninomiya as he playfully told him, “Well, see if you listened carefully you would’ve noticed that I used the word ‘had’...  Meaning, just like your employment. Past tense.  We just hired a PR person this morning.”

                “Then why bring it up?!”  Ninomiya had lost all composure at this point.  It was bad enough that he was unemployed but, now this jerk that not only had a job but a WONDERFUL job at that, he was also rubbing it in his face that he couldn’t pay his bills.

                “Because I am looking for someone still… to be my assistant.”  Minho stopped his circling of the other boy looking him straight in the eye.  “But it seems that you probably aren’t interested because… you might be overqualified for the job.” 

                Minho looked down at the resume and shrugged,  “It’s a shame really, with someone of your abilities I would love them in the office.  But you’ve made it clear that you will not succumb down to LOWLY work.”

                Ninomiya pouted his lips, as he could see that the other man was delighted to see him in a state of emotional distress.  He didn’t really know what he felt at the moment.  A part of Ninomiya wanted to beg for the job, yet the bigger part of him was too prideful to do such a thing.  So he did the one thing he could think of doing.

                With a swift 180 degree turn, Ninomiya started to walk away.   The shocked face and grin was left unnoticed as Ninomiya started his strut down the sidewalk.  The coffee wasn’t even worth it at this point, it just seemed that today wasn’t his day.

                “I don’t need this…”  Ninomiya thought to himself as he continued to walk down the street.  “Hell, I don’t even care for the next interview!  I don’t even remember what that job WAS, let alone being able to make something up to let them think I actually want it.” 

                A steady rhythm of steps could be heard behind Ninomiya which made him stop to turn around to see Minho abruptly halt and grin at him.

                “You ran away and didn’t even let me offer the job to you…” Minho stated frowning down at the boy, “That isn’t very fun.”

                Biting his inner cheek, Ninomiya’s eyes squinted as he walked up to the other man tippy toeing so their eyes met.

                “So you’re telling me… that you accidentally knocked into me, find out that I am jobless, and tease me senseless about my inability to find a job, and you expect ME to work for YOU?”  Ninomiya angrily spat as his toes gave out and brought him back down the three inches from the ground.  “Please explain to me why I should work for you, and why out of all people you would want ME as your assistant.”

                People were beginning to stare, but it didn’t bother either the tall businessman or the boy in the white shirt.  All that could be heard was the heavy breathing coming from Ninomiya, and the amusement coming from Minho’s tilted head.

                “Well, for starters… you know how to talk to people, you have experience in the industry, and the fact that you are able to put your pride in front of your needs shows that you know you are worth a lot more than most people think you do.”  Minho looked directly at Ninomiya with a small smile.  “The work is fast paced, and it might not be exactly as glamorous as your old job but it will take over your skill set. I know you’re desperate because I have been around this block the past two weeks and have seen you exit Vogue headquarters, the mall down the street and the local  jewellery store across the street, so apparently you’re still looking for work.”

                Minho shrugged and put out his hand to signal that the job offer was on the table.  Ninomiya knew that he couldn’t even argue with any of this.  The other man had read him like a book, the only thing missing were the bills on the kitchen counter and his parents.

                With a quick sigh Ninomiya took a step forward and stuck his hand out, only to walk towards the coffee shop.

                The taller man stood there a bit confused as he tried to put two and two together.  He could’ve sworn that he had just hired Ninomiya. Did he just reject his offer?

                Minho quickly ran over to Ninomiya, who was already waiting in line at the coffee shop.  Before Minho could even say a word, Ninomiya stated his demands.

                “I am going to need a copy of all your schedules, contacts, and projects.  Preferably in an ORGANIZED online format because if you are going to make me rummage through endless amounts of data and paperwork you’re really just being fussy.”  Ninomiya ranted as he made his way to the front till.

“Hi, one hazelnut latte with a double shot of espresso please.”  Ninomiya ordered as his hand went up exactly as Minho was going to say something, signaling him to remain quiet as he paid the girl at the till.  Turning around, Ninomiya looked at Minho for the first time since they entered the coffee shop.

                “Now tell me do I get my own office or am I stuck in a cubicle? Or god forbid you have me at a desk outside YOUR office ‘cause then that would just be like a tacky sitcom.”  Ninomiya could tell by the blush on Minho’s face that he would be placed at a desk in front of his office.

                “You know for someone so high and mighty you are quite easy to read.  Let me guess, you asked for the desk outside of your office so you can page whoever it was out there so you could feel like you were in an office drama.”  Ninomiya teased as he walked over to the other end of the café to wait for his drink.

                Minho’s blush reddened as he followed the other male, opening and closing his mouth several times.  “You do know that I could still hire somebody else, right?  I mean I am your boss now, show me a little respect.”  Minho retorted trying to take back control he once had in this conversation.

                Ninomiya smiled as his latte arrived in his hands and turned around to the other male.  “You knew from the very beginning that if you hired me we would be working very closely.  I don’t really feel like playing the housewife secretary that follows your every whim at the office, plus with what you put me through today I think I at least deserve this much.”

                Ninomiya started to walk towards the exit, with the tall businessman starting to wonder if this hire was really going to be a good idea.

                “Oh and one more thing…”  Ninomiya swivelled to face the other male who was still trying to put what was happening together.  “I expect my old pay rate from my old company.  I do have bills to pay, and you said it yourself.  I am worth a lot more than most people think I am.” 

                And with that Ninomiya took out a business card and put it into Minho’s hands.  “Give me a text with what time you need me to be at the office.” 

                With a quick wink, Ninomiya was walking away and Minho was thinking that the next part of his life was going to be quite interesting.