04 | The Line
My Perfect Stranger
✗ Kim Rima ✗
Dragging my luggage out from Junhyung's bedroom, I follow him out of the apartment, heading straight to the elevator so we can finish the deal of helping me finding a place to stay as soon as possible.
The moment when the person named Lee Gikwang asked my name is kind of nerve-wracking. It's a good thing I remembered that I must introduced myself as Junhyung's cousing.
I feel everything is becoming more and more ridiculous. I made two lies in sequence; the fact that my full name is Kim Rima and then I acted as an idol's cousin I just met last night.
I don't even have a proof that this Yong Junhyung is a real idol. Come to think of it, there is indeed a big possibility that I'm tricked by him and something bad will happen to me.
However since until this very moment there is no sign of suspicious gesture from him, I think it's alright to trust him.
Come to think of it, I don't understand why he helps me this much; giving his room to a stranger for a night, looking for a place to stay for this unknown girl, and now accompanying me without any complaint.
"You met Gikwang," Junhyung says as he pushes a button the level we need to reach. "He is the main dancer in BEAST."
"I see...," I murmur, nodding randomly. I lean myself against the wall, waiting for the elevator to stop. I am in the middle of a thought; I'm also a really daring girl to accept an offer to sleep in a guy's bedroom last night, right?
The elevator stops and the door opens up. When we step out from the elevator, a man with black hairwho is waiting for the elevator calls him, "Junhyung?"
I stop my steps to turn around and I feel like my heart almost stops beating for a second. Not because of the one who called Junhyung but because of the girl who is standing next to him.
"Yoseob. Sora," Junhyung greets them casually. "Ah, right, you stayed at Sora's place last night."
The man, which I believe is Yoseob, nods slightly and looks at me with curiosity. He turns back to Junhyung and mumbles, "And this girl is..."
"Ah, she...," Junhyung hesitates for seconds before continues, "she is my cousin, Yong Rima. I just met her again last night."
"Rima? You are Junhyung's cousin?" Sora frowns, not even looking away from me for a second. My heart skips a beat while Junhyung's eyes widen in surprise because Sora just mentioned my name clearly.
"You know her?" Yoseob asks Sora, wondering why both of us know each other. Yoseob looks at me and then at Junhyung before stops his gaze on me again, "Rima?"
"Can you give me five minutes?" I ask to no one and quickly grab Sora's hand, dragging her somewhere far from Junhyung and Yoseob. She follows me without a word until we are alone at the corner of the floor.
"Sora," I loosen my grip on her and hold my breath reluctantly. "It's been a while."
"It's been three years, Rima," Sora replies me with monotone. "I've hear that you have returned to Seoul with your father but I never expected to see you here. Especially with Junhyung."
Three years ago my father hired Kim Sora, the young professional photographer who is standing right in front of me, for the opening ceremony of his first branch office at New York. She is the only photographer who was allowed to have my pictures but prohibited from publishing them.
Even though we share same family name, we have nothing in common except the "Kim" in our names. I never thought I would see her again ever since she worked as personal photographer for an idol group; that's what I read on an article around two years ago. I don't really pay attention for non-musical news
Wait. An idol group?
"You worked for BEAST?" I blurt out my question without even thinking twice. "You're their personal photographer?"
"As for now, I also work for CN Blue actually," Sora answers me calmly. "My cousin, Mina, helps me to work as BEAST's personal photographer. I still have eight months to fulfill my contract with CN Blue though."
Silence. Awkward silence.
I know that Sora is not a really friendly person sometimes but I really need her help not to reveal my identity; I don't want my father to think that I rely on our family name to live outside of our house, to live without his help.
"I never knew that you are Junhyung's cousin," she finally speaks the case I want to talk about. "Since when did you change your name into Yong Rima?"
I take a deep breath and start to explain that I have an issue with my father. I tell Sora that I need to prove to my father that I can do well without him so I hide my identity as the daughter of Kim family, acting as an ordinary girl who loves music and I will help Junhyung with his music.
Sora doesn't say anything until I finish my explanation. There is no change on her expression even though she gives me a questioning look with her eyes.
"I understand your feeling, Rima," Sora glances at me, "but lying to everyone is not a wise option. I will not say anything about your real identity since I don't have any intention to dive in your issue but Junhyung is a good friend of mine so..."
She stops and closes her eyes for seconds, trying to arrange the words she wants to say to me. She opens her eyes and sighs, "Do what you need to do. Come on, they are waiting for us."
Of all people in the world, I don't know whether I should feel lucky or not to meet Sora here.
✗ Yong Junhyung ✗
"I'll see you upstairs then," Yoseob waves to me as he leaves with Sora to our apartment. Both Rima and Sora nod as their greetings while I don't do anything.
It's really surprising to know that Rima and Sora know each other. I don't know what they're talking about but I'm sure that they do know one another. Sora told me and Yoseob that they met around three years ago when she was working for a photography project.
"I didn't know she works for BEAST," Rima states as we walk to meet the one who is responsible for this apartment building. "She is a really great photographer."
She doesn't show a hint of annoyance but I must admit that I don't really like the way she said it; as if BEAST is not worth enough to work with Sora.
Sora is a young professional photographer who has worked as BEAST's personal photographer since more than two years ago. Now she also works as CN Blue's personal photographer.
I agree that BEAST is lucky to have such a talented photographer but Rima didn't need to put it that way with words, did she?
Last night I was being too reckless by asking her to stay in my room. I was worried since she looked pretty much clueless with living outside and it's midnight. I never thought about the possibility that Gikwang, Yoseob, and Sora would meet her and assumed that she's my real cousin.
Being too nice with a girl... Is it my weakness spot or my extra point as a gentleman?
I know that this girl is not a person with bad intention. She is not really conceited either; she is just real arrogant.
I don't know what kind of life she was living before but from the way she talks, the way she acts, she doesn't look like a girl who has cute side or shy personality at all.
She is a confident girl. And, once again, arrogant one.
"Yes, she is great," I shrug off my annoyance towards her blunt reaction. "Yoseob is a really lucky guy to have her as a fiancee."
"Eh?" Rima stops her steps all of a sudden. "Fiancee? They are engaged?"
"Don't you know about it?" I raise my eyebrow, wondering about how many things this girl doesn't know about. First BEAST and now this one; Yoseob and Sora's engagement has been a really hot topic everywhere for the past four months. "They will be married next year."
When she opens again to ask another question, she changes the topic without any warning, "Can I use your name as the one who will use the empty apartment?"
"Why?" I ask her back, tucking my hands inside my pockets. This girl sure has a lot of requests for me; even when she already knew that I am an idol.
"Because...," she stops for seconds, thinking about the reason, "...I can't let my family know that I'm here. At least for now. I will tell my family soon."
I stare at her eyes for moments before finally sigh heavily and mumbles, "That's not a way to ask help for someone, Rima."
"Eh?" she blinks with confusion, still having the disbelief look on her face. "What do you mean?"
"This once, I let it slide away," I ignore her and walk away from her. "You need to hide from the public about this made up reality that you are my cousin. Understand?"
I'm just helping her because she is going to help me as well.
That's all.
There is nothing wrong with helping a stranger, right?
✗ Kim Rima ✗
"I'll leave then," Junhyung wears his shoes, ready to leave. "I have a schedule to attend this afternoon. Can you help me with the music tonight? I will come here if you don't mind."
"Ah," I rush to him, leaving my new bedroom quickly. "Can I ask something?"
After the negotiation, I finally have my own apartment with Junhyung's name as the one who uses the apartment instead of my name. He accompanied me to check the new apartment and he told me to clean up everything because it will take a while.
I'm really glad that he agreed to help me by using his name. I don't want to risk anything that will make my father finds out about where I am right now; I will prove to him that I'm alright even without him.
Since he just mentioned that I need to help him with his music, which is the deal I agreed with him, I need to ask another request from him.
"Can you borrow me BEAST's albums? I need to listen to your songs so I can identify your music type," I explain to him. "I will listen to all of them before you come again tonight so I can work at my best state."
"I'll get them to you," he answers and opens the door. "Give me ten minutes. You can unpack your stuff first while I take the albums for you."
Junhyung closes the door behind him, leaving me alone in my new apartment. Instead of unpacking my stuff, I sit in the main room, checking some articles on the internet about BEAST.
If I really want to help Junhyung, I need to work my best and it means I need to, at least, know their background as idol group. Internet is indeed the best source for me to know them a little bit better.
BEAST contains of six members and they released their first mini album on October 14, 2009. Ah, they will celebrate their fourth anniversary in four months then. Till this moment, they have two Korean studio albums and one Japanese studio album. The one I will work with Junhyung is for their third studio album, I guess.
There is an article about Yoseob and Sora's engagement; so it's true. I can't imagine the girl with cold personality like Sora to be engaged with an idol. Looks like she has changed a lot then.
There is another article about their family concert, United Cube Concert. Another article talks about Doojoon and his newest drama.
An article from two months ago catches my attention in instant because of the title.
"B2ST's Junhyung and KARA's Hara had split up"
I assume that this Hara is an idol as well and KARA is her group. I really need to start listening to Korean songs if I want to help Junhyung, just in case of avoiding the accuse of plagiarism.
I click the link to the article and start to read the popular article since there are almost a million views for this short article which shows the picture of Junhyung and a girl with long brown hair.
"Breaking news! This time B2ST's Junhyung and KARA's Hara have called their relationship to an end.
According to CUBE Entertainment's representative, they had parted their ways as a couple in April after their official recognition of their relationship in June 2011. After almost two years, they agreed to go back to their platonic relationship once again.
As for the reason, netizens believe that both of them were too busy with their lives that they didn't have time for each other. Others assumed that their relationship has turned to be a monotone and boring one that they finally got enough with it.
Both of them have assured that all's well with their friendship."
Ah, so Junhyung is in a relationship before with an idol.
That's irrelevant for me though.
Just like what he said before; I'm a stranger when he doesn't need my help and he is a stranger when I don't need his help. I don't even need to think about getting close with BEAST so why do I even bother to check about their personal lives?
There is a vivid line between my life and theirs.
__________
Author's Note:
For your note, sidequel is a spin-off where a story exists in the same chronological frame of time as its predecessor work, which in this case is Complex Simplicity.
Well, I hope you will support Rima, Gikwang, and Junhyung here. Thank you. :)
Comments