THE MIRROR POST

As the brunette beauty stood on the stage, preparing herself to be criticized
by the citizens. But by the end of the day, the ultimate plot twist unfolds.
Yes, that is proof that Bae Irene - the Nation's Sweetheart, does in fact live up
to her name. Just days before the press conference, she had been admitted to hospital
with rumors regarding a drug overdose. Many of her supporters could not believe
their beloved candidate would hide such secrets. Alas, miss Irene had spoken
,she answered all the questions - with such grace and politeness, it
stunned critics, regarding whether this was a stunt. Then the real 
moment came when Lee JinE - a student suffering from anorexia and depression
stepped up and had a one on one conversation, they locked eyes and somehow connected.
That led to miss Irene addressing issues about depression and the so-called mental illness
known as Survival's guilt she has battled with for years. 'Each and every one of us is beautiful just the
way we are.' Those were the wise words from the Selection contestant that made an impact for the people
present. People broke down crying, people clapped, people chanted her name. This is
by far the most significant moment in the Selection yet. Bae Irene may have been dubbed
the Nation's Sweetheart, but she has now also gained a loyal fanbase as well as 
becoming a national icon for self confidence and independence amongst young people to achieve
their dreams, regardless of respective backgrounds. I end with a side note, 'You are beautiful, miss Bae Irene!'

 "Well, you did most of the work." he chuckled, an easy smile on his smile.

I was holding Seulgi's hand as we watched a replay of the broadcast of my previous press conference. The flat screen TV pictured me giving my speech. All I cared was my face look terrified, a look of anxiety. I spoke with confidence, how could I even bae to smile at that time? As I left the stage, people were screaming my name. I wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing.

"I did so bad..." I said. "I was stuttering!"

"What do you mean?" Seulgi asked incredulously. "You were absolutely great up there! Did you see the look on the girl's face when you gave her your advice? She adored you, Irene. They chanted your name because they were supportive of you, they've got your back. You can't get disqualified at this rate."

I raised my eyebrow, "And you want that? If I get disqualified, then you'd have less one person to compete against."

She rolled her eyes , "Irene, the last thing I want is to lose my best friend in this. Honestly, I don't really care about winning the crown anymore. Riches can't grant wishes, much less fulfill someone's life. I've learned that the hard way, and I'm not planning on losing anyone else. Not after Wendy..." she pursed my lips.

"Seulgi," I hugged her. "I understand what you're talking about, trust me I'm not someone who would value money that much.  I'm never going to stray away from what really matters."

"Then we'll make a promise, we'll reopen the arts studio. This time, you're hired for woodwork and carpenter training."

My smile faded a little. I wanted to say yes so badly, like all the other offers I had been given before. But I beared in mind that I wasn't one of them, I had a totally different life than them. Seulgi could always go back to her safe home, with no worries. I was different, I was still in a limbo whether I was really doing the right thing now. I had been sure what to do, when to do it, why it was important ; but creating plans were much much easier than really putting them into action. This was not any less  harder. As much as I wanted to say yes to Seulgi's offer, my duty was important. But still, I couldn't hurt her feelings when she had so much hope even after losing Wendy.

I forced a smile, "How could I say no? But this is a paid offer, right?"

Seulgi laughed, "Of course, you even get a commision."

Then during dinner, the girls started talking to me again. Tessa admitted she was wrong for thinking I could be a serial killer, and why should I hold grudges? It seemed peculiar to me that Jiyeon now rarely showed up during dinner time, or anytime that wasn't compulsory for all of us to be there. Then again, I was aware about her alliance with the duke, Kyungsoo. Her insidious scheme to eliminate every girl in the competition  if she could. And Kyungsoo, the person whom I actually thought was a good person - was the mastermind behind all this. I couldn't really accuse her now, it'd be obvious that I was tracking them down this whole time. And that would blow my cover. The only thing I was capable of now was to watch Seulgi's back, in case she was the next target. It was the least I could do.

When dinner was over, I decided to stroll the  gardens under the moonlight. I have to laugh at my own joke, there was hardly ever time to think about romantic strolls in a garden. But the night within the castle walls was contradictory to night out side the Walls. While I used to be terrified of the dead of night, where danger was lurking in every corner - I felt at peace during the nights I spent here. I liked the luminous flowers in the garden, I liked the wind beating against my skin, it wasn't strong and forcefully, it was just right.

I don't know if it was fate, or was it planned - Junmyeon was at the garden pavilion. I watched from afar, he had his arms at his back, in his usual button down that was tucked in, black slacks, his hair somewhat untidy, but not too messy until it looked drabble. Under the soft light, his cheekbones stood out (how come I notice that?). 

He turned and saw me, he raised his eyebrows in amusement. "I didn't expect to have someone spy on me. I suppose I do have a cult following of admirers." he joked.

I couldn't help but grin, "I'm not a stalker, and you know that. I just happened to be strolling near this area, and I spotted you here alone. Are you enjoying the night too?"

"Kyungsoo had planned to meet me here around this time, but he still hasn't shown us." he said. "I suppose he's caught up with another girl at the moment. I did see him never taking his eyes off that one particular castle maid."

"Does he fancy her?''

"I suppose he fancies mauling her, he switches partners every week. " he shrugged. "He has a reputation of being a player of sorts, a heartbreaker even."

I took his hand, "Don't sound so confident, you could be a potential heartbreaker if you wanted to."

He looked even more amused, "Oh, really? I could try, but I'd never bring myself to break your heart. I couldn't bear to see you break, my dear."

He brushed his thumb acrss my cheek, my insides made jumping jacks. I smiled, "Likewise..."

He smirked, "You didn't correct me when I said 'dear'."

"Oh, did I?" I grinned back. "I wasn't paying attention then."

He laughed, "Then don't pay attention."

I coiled my arms around his neck, "But seriously, thank you for helping me. I wouldn't have done it without you, Junmyeon. "

His arms were static on my waist, "It was worth it, for you. I didn't really help much, you did most of the work. All you needed to do was to have faith in yourself, because you were beautiful from the start. I always thought you were beautiful, not perfect - but beautiful."

"Why me, Junmyeon?" I asked. "Out of all the people, more talented than me, more suitable, why did you have to pick me?"

"Love is many things, Irene. I might dramatize it and say Cupid shot a stray arrow, but I don't mind. It might be destiny, for me to fall for you. And I am not the type to question destiny."

"Maybe it is my destiny for you to finally see my flaws, Junmyeon." I said. "If we want to make this work, I need to know some of your flaws as well."

He nodded, "Someone once told me my weakness was I had a tendency for being too kind."

"How is that a weakness?"

"I put things at stake, I might put my country in jeopardy." he said as-a-matter-of-factly. "I still keep doing it, only you will I tell."

"I have my lips sealed, I promise." I said playfully.

He took a deep breath, "I'm telling you because I know you'd understand me. For the past years, I've been trying to help the people from outside the Wall."

My heart briefly stopped beating, "J-Junmyeon, what do you mean?"

"I never understood why we should leave those people out there, when they're as equal as us. They deserve as much comfort as the people within these walls. Though my position is not high enough to decide the country's rules, I can only act in secret, by sending them aid whenever I can."

"Like food?"

"Yes, but I wouldn't want them them to know I was behind this. They might reject my help, I don't want that to happen. I've already thought about it, after I take the throne. I will abolish that law, and open the gates for those outside to enter. So they can be safe from harm."

My entire spirit lifted, "You will?"

"Of course, is that fine with you?"

I flashbacked to the time we were at the brink of starvation, as the forest was much too dangerous that time. Jinnie was having a fever, she needed food. I was losing hope, then the mysterious food came. I remembered all the people who were ready to give up, but those mysterious packages gave them hope. We relied on that support, we could live to this day. 

All this time, it was a mystery left unsolved. We planned to take away the city, from the hands of the very person who was helping us live. All this time, we were plotting to kill the person who was our life saver. I wronged Junmyeon, I felt so guilty. He even was considering granting us far better lives in the future. I was in love with the right person. I could harbour a light of hope. 

I was the one to lean closer to kiss him, pressing my lips against his. At first he looked surprised, but he took it willingly. Now, I was finally at peace. No more problematic conscience nagging to say I was wrong, no more hesitations. There was only us at the time, with hardly any space between us. I loved him, and I wasn't going to hide it anymore. 

Our foreheads touched, "I love you..." I whispered ever so soundly. He held me tight, and I would willingly stop time to let us embrace our little moment for the joy that I felt were stars I couldn't fathom into constellations.

He looked at me, "Irene, I love y-"

"What do you think you're doing?".