"If you're not gonna buy anything, get out of here," I snapped.

     "Whoa, there. What's got your in a twist?" Dong Jun joked as a comeback.

     He had been stealing glances ever since he entered the restaurant. I only marched over to his table to pretend to wipe it so I could tell him to go away already.

     I gave him a glare to get him to spill the beans. "What? I'm just taking my time to order," he defended. He puckered his lips to the side as if to think about what he should order for dinner. "Uh, nah. Come again later," he then dismissed shortly after.

     I took a deep breath to compose myself and then walked away with heavy steps. I glared at him again once I reached the cash register, which he returned with a smirk.

     Just what is this guy up to?

     I wasn't especially feeling all giddy because the audition this morning kind of made an impact on me. Well, okay, not just kind of. It had a huge impact on me.

     The main character is an ugly expatriate who is friends with a hallyu star wannabe she met in the coffee shop she works at. She then secretly falls in love with the guy, but right when his popularity skyrocketed. Thus, making her insecure and all.

     Seriously, who writes stories like that? And the doctors in the auditions a while back? Well, they were there to examine the faces of the applicants because apparently, the main character of the story would eventually take surgery to make herself pretty. And during the first episodes of the show, the lead actress will not be wearing transformative make-ups to make the story natural and realistic. That's the uniqueness that Miss Jina was talking about. Seriously, do I look like someone who would want to undergo plastic surgery just to look pleasant? I have insecurities and all, yes, but that doesn't mean I want to change my face!

     Was I supposed to feel happy for being chosen as the lead actress? Was having the most editable face supposed to make me feel better about myself? I only found out after they told me I'm playing the lead role that I will undergo plastic surgery. But as a consolation, they will only touch my nose and nothing else, because my fats can be removed through hardcore workouts and my skin and pimple marks can be lightened through injection of whitening products and occasional Derma procedures.

     I really did make a fool of myself going there! No wonder Miss Jina didn't give me further details about the story when she invited me to audition.

     My train of thoughts was put into a halt when a hand waved repeatedly in front of my face. "Ya. Mwohae? (Hey. What are you doing?)" snapped Shin Ji, one of the waiters of the restaurant. She got irritated when I wasn't taking the money she was handing over to me. She's a few months younger than me but she sure is y.

     "Oh? Mian," I apologized and handed her the change afterwards.

     From the corner of my eye, I saw Dong Jun browse through the menu. He then set it down on the table when Shin Ji approached him. Her eyes were batting more than usual.

     Wait, is she flirting with him? Oh, girl, you've got some guts.

     When Dong Jun stood up and seemed like he was going to my direction, I pretended to organize the bills.

     "Hey. Shin Ji told me you're clocking out in five minutes," he told me, leaning his waist against the counter and his back against the wall adjacent to it.

     "Yeah. So? What's up?" I asked.

     "I'm hungry," he stated.

     "Yeah, obviously, when you stayed here for fifteen minutes without actually ordering anything," I replied with raised brows.

     "Hah! Funny." He rolled his eyes. "Let's grab dinner after you get off here," he offered.

     "This is a restaurant, just in case the people eating isn't much of a giveaway," I replied sarcastically. Nevertheless, I took off my apron as Shin Ji took my place, not without giving Dong Jun a flirty smile.

     "Oh, you and your sarcastic remarks," he then cooed.

     What got my attention wasn't his blatant disregard for Shin Ji's advances toward him but the familiarity of the words he uttered.

     "Let's go?" He gave Shin Ji a smile before he took my backpack from me and strapped to his shoulders. I wanted to protest and take it back but he already took off, leaving me treading behind as memories from the past started to overwhelm me once again.

     "Where are you taking me?" I asked him weakly as I settled in the passenger seat.

     "Some place nice," he replied casually as he started off the engine.

     I leaned my temple against the window after strapping my seatbelt and brooded over the relationship that never was. It hasn't even started yet it already ended.

     Did GD even mean it when he told me that I'm an amazing person?

     Okay, that's enough, Maki.

     I shook my head to send away the what ifs and did he evens before I start ruining the rest of my day again.

     "Are you in the mood for chicken?" he asked.

     "Sure," I responded in a soft voice.

~~~~~

     Dong Jun sent me back to the dorm after we had dinner. Again, he insisted on paying. I realized, not once did he ever let me pitch in during the times we ate dinner together.

     Meh, he's rich. I'm just probably a charity case to him.

     As I searched for my keys, I heard Emma and the other two talking. It was just a faint buzz at first but when I leaned my ear against the door, I could hear it clearly.

     "I heard from Eric that Dong Jun likes Maki for real," Emma told them in a valley girl accent that until now irritates me.

     "Really?" they responded in unison.

     "Was Dong Jun the guy you were supposed to set up with me back then?" Ji Yeon asked.

     "No, he's the rich guy Emma was going to set up with me," Hye Jin interjected.

     "Yeah, yeah. I asked you both but you were both busy," Emma said. "This is big. She's not pretty and kind of chubby. What did he see in her?"

     I can't believe this! Why am I the one getting criticisms when I'm not even the one who likes him!? This is ridiculous!

     "She's nice, though," Ji Yeon commented.

     Oh, thanks Ji Yeon! I've always known you were the most decent one among my roommates.

     When I finally found my keys, I dangled it louder than necessary just to let them know that I was home. As much as I want to shout to their faces that I'm not the least bit interested in Dong Jun, I don't want to make things awkward between the four of us. Of all people, I didn't expect that it would be Emma who would say those things about me.

     "Oh, you're back!" Emma welcomed as I removed my shoes.

     Bite me. "Yeah.." I replied in a dismissive way.

     "Hye Jin and Ji Yeon are going home to their hometown tomorrow," she informed. "Since they're both from Busan, they're inviting us over for a few days. What do you think?" Her excitement could've looked genuine if she said it before I overheard them, but all I could see now beneath her smiling face is disgust toward me.

     "Hye Jin-unnie, Ji Yeon-unnie, mian. Hal ili manhi isseoyo," (I have a lot of things to do) I apologized before changing into comfortable clothes.

     I then went straight to my bed, ignoring Emma on purpose.

     "Well, I'm going, anyway," she told me.

     "Okay. Have fun," I replied. I lied straight on my back and folded my arms under the pillow on my head.

     It baffles me how anyone can just badmouth their friend. Am I even a friend to her? Just last night, I went clubbing with her. Does that not mean anything to her? I let her do my hair and make-up. I wore a freaking mini-dress for her. I'm not even complaining how the dress had cost me an entire week of food allowance.

     But you wanted to look pretty. You were devastated when I saw you crying in the restroom, Miss Jina's words reverberated in my head. After I walked out of the audition hall, she ran after me and gave me words of encouragement. It wasn't anything like that at the time because I was fuming in anger.

     But now, it kind of makes sense. Even idols get nose-jobs, why can't I? If I want to look good too, what's stopping me? And, it's just a nose-job. They're just unflattening my nose. And besides, it is a good money. With the money I'm going to receive, I could get myself a doctorate degree in South Korea, even without scholarships.

     I reached into my backpack, laying beside my legs on my bed, and took my cellphone out. I dialed Miss Jina's number and she answered on the third ring.

     "I'll do it," I told her.

     "You made the right decision," she said from the other line.

~~~~~

     A black sedan picked me up the next morning, after my roommates went off to Busan. I entered the MBS building again for the second time. But this time, Miss Jina was waiting for me by the entrance.

     She gave me warm smile before she guided me inside. I stuck my red hoodie closer to my body as if to protect myself from the eyes of all the staff we came across with. I wiped against my faded jeans my severely sweating hands brought about by nervousness. Each step my leather ankle boots made was an indication that I was getting closer and closer to the eyes of the public. Soon after this, I'd be the center of everyone's attention. The thought scared me but at the same time, it tickled my insides.

     Miss Jina opened the door for me to the office of the head of the Drama Department of MBS, Mrs. Gil Son Ja. The main director of the drama, Mr. Lee Il Joo, was also there.

     "Annyeong haseyo," I greeted.

     "Welcome to MBS' Drama Department," she greeted in return. She smiled to me sweetly and even pulled a chair for me to sit on. Miss Jina sat beside me and held my hand briefly when she saw it trembling a little. She smiled to me as if to reassure me that everything will be okay. She then laid the contract in front of me. Gil Son Ja-ssi handed me the pen and I signed the contract immediately before I could even change my mind. Since I don't have a company yet, MBS will be the one handling me in the meantime. They understood that I'm an international student so they're letting me record in my free time. When I asked if it would be legal for me to do work with only a student visa, they just told me that they're going to handle it themselves and I should just worry about managing my time efficiently.

     I only took one semester of theater class. Am I that good of an actress already for them to take care of me like this?

     Kidding.

     "Fighting, Maki-ssi!" cheered the main director.

     Afterwards, I shook hands with them one by one. When I got to Miss Jina, she instead hugged me. She's a bit touchy for a Korean.

     "Did you already tell her who's replacing Lee Jong Suk for the lead role?" Mrs. Gil asked Miss Jina.

     "Kim Woo Bin?" I couldn't help but guess.

     "No, he rejected it," Mr. Lee said.

     "It's L of Infinite," Miss Jina told me. "And the second lead will be Yook Sung Jae of BtoB."

     My inner self screamed in delight. L, the charming guy I met a few months ago who always smirks!? And Sung Jae? I've only seen him in School 2015, but he sure did heighten my second lead syndrome when I watched that show!

     The three laughed when they witnessed me in shock. My initial doubts about my decision instantly melted away. They could make fun of my silent fangirling all they want now, but I wouldn't care. Mr. Smirky L will be my leading man!

~~~~~

     "Did you ever try to look for your biological parents?" Miss Jina asked after wiping the corner of her lips with a napkin.

     She took me out to lunch in a fancy restaurant after the contract signing. The beef steak was tasty and so tender. I nibbled the buttered veggies before answering her question. "I didn't want to. It never crossed my mind. They left me for a reason, you know."

     She just nodded. She may have thought to herself that it was a sensitive issue. But really, it isn't.

     "Do you have children?" I asked.

     "I have a son," she replied. "He's a little older than you."

     "I see." I seriously don't know how to converse with older people.

     "Anyway, do you have any agency you want to sign with?" she asked.

     "YG." It just went right out of my mouth. I've heard a lot of good things about YG and if ever, that's where I'd want to be.

     "Wow. That's tough. Well, if you want them, you better do well."

     Of course, I will.

     "Start memorizing your lines tonight. Two days from now, we'll have the first reading. We'll be fast-paced in filming the first part of the drama to make time for your transformation. In fact, this will be your last decent meal."

     "Oh, no."

     "Don't worry. After you lose weight and be able to maintain it, you get to eat carbs from time to time. But still, you'll have to workout, of course."

     The horror.

     "But you'll be fine. Once you get the hang of working out, you'll love it." She smiled but all I could see was that witch from Snow White.

     "Can I get an ice cream after this? Just to say my farewells."

     She chuckled before answering. "Sure."

-----

Finally! L and Sung Jae are coming! Yay! :D