Chapter 7

Obsession

          At a food joint near the stadium where the concert they’re about to watch with their first clients is being held, Lee Soo Jung once again ponders at the oddity of her situation. She is more than baffled, who would send a request for her. It’s a prank, she’s sure of it. She’s seriously deciding to just delete the file from their database and consider it as a fluke of the system. How to do it though without offending the creator of their database and a possible ‘real’ client.

          “The concert doesn’t start until 5pm... Do you want to get something to eat first?”

          “I’m good, Seok Min. I already ate earlier. If you want to order, it’s fine.”

          “You’re distracted...Why?”

          “I’m not distracted, a bit pre-occupied maybe. The club’s starting to get busy. I appreciate your concern though... Now get yourself food, we have a 3 hour concert to attend.”

          “I’m getting you something to nibble on regardless of what you say...”

          “Get me a large fries then...”

          “Yes sir!”

          A couple enters the food joint laughing, oddly wearing something that some might consider a couple shirt.

          “Seok Min, wait... On second thought, we might just have to get a bite at the food hall inside the stadium instead...”

          Soo Jung felt the need to explain seeing the bewildered look on her companion’s face. She gestures towards the couple who’s now sitting comfortably at a private area of the restaurant.

          “Oh.” Understanding dawns on Lee Seok Min’s face, discretely returning to his seat. “I really shouldn’t be saying this but it seems like they really are going to enjoy this concert more than my candle-lit date idea.”

          “We’re all new at this. We make bad judgements, except I guess for Ji Ah who clearly has dated a lot.”

          Seok Min shrugged, still observing the couple on the other table.

          She can’t help but smile, their job is done here. There’s only so much shoving they can do. If they do too much, they’ll ruin this perfect picture that she’s looking at right now.

A few hours later...

        The crowd is slowly dispersing, the concert has ended a few minutes ago and everybody is buzzing with the after-concert high. Park Myeong Eun is feeling a bit light-headed too. This is the first time she’s attended this foreign artist’s concert and the long wait was definitely worth it.

        What’s much better is that she gets to see the concert with a very special person; she admits that this wouldn’t be possible without Soo Jung’s club. Maybe being set up isn’t too bad after all.

        “You look dazed... You’re impressed! She’s that good, huh?” She companion.

         Won Woo remembers Myeong Eun singing this song for her audition to become part of the music club. She practised hard for it, dragging him to vacant classrooms just to have him listen and criticize her. And sometimes when they’re unable to meet, she’d have him call her to listen over the phone while she practises.

        “I can’t believe someone actually rendered you speechless...”

       “Nah! I was thinking, I’ve heard better...”

        Myeong Eun frowns, who can be better than her idol? Curiosity is killing her, so she asked, “Who?”

        “You.” Won Woo states without looking at her.

         Dumbfounded is an understatement. Won Woo thinks she’s a better singer? This time she’s the one rendered speechless.

         “Stop looking at me like that, it’s true. I’ve heard you plenty of times. I should know...” He scoffs at her still shocked face. “C’mon let’s eat, I’m hungry...”

~0~

          Monday is weirdly anti-climactic.

          Lee Hye Rin is bored out of her senses, she’s sorted out through their mailbox and the only thing she sees worth listing as a legit request is that one Seok Min wishes to have deleted. There’s nothing else she can do, homework seems to be of no interest and none of her club members is around to torture.

          Sometimes she thinks that the only reason she joined the club is because she has too much spare time. Other than her literature and reading club she has little else to do, the latter club is a serious one, this feels more like a hobby than anything else.

          She prefers hanging out here more than anywhere.

          But now sleep looks like it would be a better past time, her next class doesn’t start in three hours. Better rest than die of boredom.

          She’s already found a comfortable sleeping position when someone rang the bell. She can’t remember an interview being scheduled today and if there was, it was never this early. She reluctantly stood up to open the door, hoping it isn’t one of those self-obsessed girls demanding for non-existent privileges.

          They’ve been hanging outside the door for days on end when they found out they’ve made a successful match, not that it was such an effort to set up the WonEun couple. 

          “You rang?” she mutters as she slides the door open.

          “Is Lee Soo Jung there?” a guy dressed in all black is standing in front of their club door. She can’t see the entirety of his face because of his snapback.

          “No, but if you wish to leave a message I can take it for you...” She answers politely.

          “I’m good... I’ll come back when she’s there.”

          “Then you shouldn’t have knocked...”

          “What?”

          “Knocking means you have a purpose, leaving it at that makes your effort to come here and knock, completely useless...”

          “So?” the guy leans on the door casually, taunting her to make sense of whatever train of thought she has.

          “Refer to my first statement. If you really are resolute to not leave a message then we shouldn’t bother talking, bye...”

          He stops her from closing the club door, Lee Hye Rin hisses, so much for the much needed sleep. “You’re part of the club?”

          “No, I’m the cleaning lady...” she mutters. “Of course I’m part of the club... Why?”

          “I have an interview with Lee Soo Jung scheduled at 11:30am...”

          She checks their schedule calendar to see if he’s telling the truth. “Oh, you’re manga guy... You can come back later since it’s still two hours away...”

          “I’ll wait inside, my history class doesn’t start until 1:00pm...” The guy enters the club room without hesitation. Lee Hye Rin glares at the nerve. Should she just leave him alone here? She could find somewhere else to sleep. The library is looking like a very tempting option right now.

          He sits by the main table, pulling out his laptop as he settled.

          She doesn’t have a choice but to sit with him. Conversations are not really her forte so there was an awkward silence.

          Half an hour later, her eyes close of their own accord. She doesn’t care about the stranger with her in the room, she needs the sleep.

          “How did you know it was a manga?” their guest asked all of a sudden.

          Shaken from sleepiness, Lee Hye Rin tries to make out what he’s referring to.

          “You said ‘manga’... Your club calendar says ‘manhwa’...” the guy points out.

          “It’s Death Note...”

          He raises an eyebrow; she doesn’t want to go into detail. People always think her weird when the topic of Japanese comics comes up.

          “It’s a Japanese comic, so it’s only right to call it a manga... my club members ignores the difference.”

          The guy takes off his cap and smiles; Lee Hye Rin hasn’t seen anything so creepy.

          “I’m Kim Myeong Soo...”

          “I know, your file says it...”

          He continues to smile at her, she might need a rescue.

          “Oh, Kim Myeong Soo-ssi, you’re early! Should we start the interview now?”

          Lee Hye Rin sighs in relief. Saved by the club president.