“What?!” he asked shocked.

“She could learn along the way. I know it’s very unusual…”

He cut her off. “That’s not unusual. That’s insane! That girl,” he started aggressively then spoke more gently, “she knows nothing about acting. Are they crazy for putting an amateur onscreen?”

“Like I said,” Hyunki continued sounding irate, “she’ll learn along the way. Before receiving the script, our job is to take her around the sets to let her experience the life of an actor. Experience is the best lesson.”

Jongin scoffed bewildered. “You’re kidding. You’re going to mold her into an artist?”

“Well, why not?” Hyunki asked. “The scandal shot up and she’s getting attention. The PD likes her. The writer is interested in her. What can I do? This is a good opportunity.”

“Nothing,” he emphasized, “about her is interesting. You’re going to regret this. If you value me as your artist, you’ll take my advice for it and leave this topic alone.” Getting up in preparation to leave he e last time, “No way is any of this going to work, because she knows nothing about dramas or acting.”

“In the entertainment industry, anything is possible,” Hyunki calmly said. “You started right out of high school. Remember the years of criticism that broke you down but built you back up?”

“Don’t bring that back up. This is not the same.”

Hyunki shrugged letting him know he had no effect on her. “I’ll be hearing from her soon.”

“Don’t,” he warned, “touch her.”

₪₪₪₪₪

Minseok watched Namjoo step out of her house and loudly sneeze then look around cautiously. Today she was dressed in an oversized cardigan, skinny jeans, and an old tee. As casual as any college student headed for class, but the cap on her head symbolized her cautiousness. She was careful after the news but still foolish enough to step out into public.

She made an unusual person.

For a top star’s girlfriend to wander like normal was extreme. The public would recognize her, because more than anything else her face had been clearly on front headline news, was all over the internet. Any other woman would be in her home.

Minseok watched her walk pass his car and up the street. He waited a minute longer then got out to follow. He was curious about what kind of person she was and why Jongin would go after someone below his class. It was out of the ordinary for South Korea’s womanizer to stoop down a level. Their relationship, as he’d seen yesterday, seemed to be going down a rough patch. Of course, the interview had been staged per Kai’s request, but Minseok still had to know whether their relationship was just a charade. After all, Kai’s latest movie was currently premiering in theaters. Any top star like Kai could pull off a fake relationship and still make it look real and no one would second guess it. But Minseok, he knew better.

Busting Kai was his biggest goal as a reporter.

Namjoo entered a coffee shop. Instead of going after her he found a table outside and sat to wait. Pulling his Canon out of his bag he went through the pictures he’d taken at the end of yesterday’s interview. It just a simple picture of Kai and Namjoo sitting together. A picture like this could be interpreted into a thousand words and still no one would know the true story behind it.

If Namjoo came out and told him that she wasn’t Kai’s girlfriend and the whole thing was fake, Minseok would write it as is. What would come of Kai’s career afterward?

He glanced up when a cup of coffee landed before him and watched Namjoo sit down across from him. She sipped her iced coffee. “Are you a real reporter?”

Turning the camera off he stashed it back into his side bag and dug around for his business card. He slid it across the table a second later, “You forgot this the other day.”

Namjoo took up and held it up to the light. “It’s not fake?”

“Definitely real.”

“Hmm…” she pressed her lips together then turned to look at him. “What do you really do?”

“I’m a reporter,” he grinned then clarified, “you heard of Dispatch? I follow celebrity gossip.”

“No, I don’t know Dispatch,” Namjoo said. “I know the ones that report news on television.”

He narrowed his eyes, finding her peculiar. “Sure. I’m like that, just I report on celebrities.”

“Why?”

Flustered, he laughed. “It’s interesting.”

“Really?” Namjoo frowned. “Why is prying into someone else’s life fun?”

“I wouldn’t call it fun.”

Namjoo narrowed her eyes. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m just out and about,” Minseok lied. “What about you?”

“Breakfast.”

“That’s breakfast?”

Namjoo held up her cup of iced coffee, “It’ll do for now. I need to find a job.”

Minseok glanced at the young teenage girls behind Namjoo who had stopped to observe her. Eyes back on Namjoo, “Good luck with that.”

₪₪₪₪₪

After leaving the coffee shop Namjoo started down the road. Only every step forward made her warier. Pausing, she would listen to the cars zoom by before glancing behind her to see two or three girls. When she advanced, and stopped again the group had grown by three. Weird. They weren’t following her, were they? It wouldn’t make sense.

Namjoo walked forward again then stopped and turned to look around. The girls hustled together whispering among themselves. Frowning, Namjoo turned to start forward again shortly coming to a stop three steps later.

Turning, “What? Are you following me?”

“Take off your hat!” one of them ordered.

Shocked, Namjoo’s eyes inched wide. How unusual it was that she felt bullied by some girls who appeared younger than her.

“Wh…why?” Namjoo stuttered.

“It’s her!” someone loudly whispered.

Namjoo grew cautious. Uncomfortably smiling she denied, “No. It’s not me. I mean, I’m not who you think I am.” Speaking louder, “I’m no one!”

“It’s her! It’s really her!” someone their arm forward. “The ugly eyes, you can tell it’s her.”

Namjoo huffed a pout and bit her lower lip, “I don’t have ugly eyes!” Ripping her cap off, “See!”

She froze realizing what she’d just done. Internally screaming she gripped onto her hat and began running still screaming, “I’m no one! I’m really no one!” every time she glanced behind her, the girls came closer.

“That Namjoo girl!”

“Hey, stop!”

!

!

!

People stared as she dashed by. The lights up ahead turned red and Namjoo nearly tripped upon halting. Luckily, she caught herself and immediately made a sharp turn down the block. Everything transitioned into a blur around her until she caught sight of a gray smear through the corner of her left eye. Turning she recognized Minseok waving to her in his gray Civic. Once, his car stopped Namjoo jumped off the sidewalk into the street then into his vehicle. As he drove off she let out a groan and fell back into the seat exhausted, panting.

“Stupid hat!” Namjoo tossed the hat against the dashboard. Pushing herself up she pulled the seatbelt over her and glanced into the side mirror. “They’re gone, right?”

“We left them behind,” he confirmed.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Namjoo turned to look at him. “I don’t know what they were thinking, but I never want to experience that again.”

“Being a celebrity’s girlfriend certainly comes with a price, doesn’t it?”

“Oh, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Namjoo shook her head settling into the seat. “Pull up over there.”

“You sure you’ll be ok?” he asked as she got out.

“I’ll be fine,” she assured. “Thanks uh…”

“Minseok.”

“Right. Minseok,” Namjoo nodded then closed the door and waved. Sighing, she put her hat back on and began walking down the street.

She visited three places which she quickly left when people began eyeing her. Even the manager she had talked to asked, “Are you Kai’s girlfriend?”

Squealing out a no Namjoo backed out and quickly ran down the road. Groaning with a ed sigh she tossed her head back. She was close to home and just wanted to lie in bed for the rest of the day. Feeling her hair stand on end everywhere she went wasn’t an experience she wanted to have again. All of it was that stupid celebrity’s fault for making her call herself his girlfriend. Now she couldn’t be just no one. She would kick his the next time she saw him.

As she neared the bend to her yellow home a car door opened and someone called out, “Miss Kim Namjoo?”

Freezing, Namjoo felt her nerves constrict. Nervous, she quickly turned and waved her hand, head hung low, “I’m not Namjoo.”

The man came closer and held out a glossy business card, “Could you spare some of your time? There’s someone who’d like to see you.”

₪₪₪₪₪

Half an hour or so later Namjoo was sitting in the office on the top floor. It wasn’t overly spacious but it was large. A nice wall to wall window magnificently gave the suffocating office a fresh light of air. Numerous portraits hung above the wall. Namjoo didn’t recognize anyone, but she sure indeed recognized Jongin. A floor to ceiling bookshelf was filled with thick and thin drama scripts. Everything else that clogged up the office were the office materials itself. Paperwork, pens, a computer, desk, chair, etcetera, etcetera.

After being led in by one of the staff Namjoo sat there with a cup of fresh tea steaming in front of her. She felt awkward. First, because she’d never been in such a high-quality office before. Second, she didn’t know who she was meeting but someone who possessed a certain amount of authority. Third, this was obviously that celebrity’s workplace.

What now?

Fiddling with her fingers Namjoo stared at the cup of tea. Who would possibly want anything to do with her?

Just as she bit her thumbnail the door opened. Namjoo shot to her feet upon reflex to watch a woman in an eloquent outfit enter. Everything about her spoke sophistication from head to toe. Loop earrings, tidied hair, dewy makeup, heels that shot her up three inches more than her original height.

“Hello,” she greeted with an extended arm, “I’m so glad you came. I’m Bae Hyunki.”

“Oh…hi,” Namjoo awkwardly shook her head and upon her release Hyunki invited, “Please sit down.”

Namjoo sat down. Without waiting for the woman to begin she asked, “So uh…why am I here?” her eyes darted toward the glass nameplate on the desk, “You’re a…CEO.”

“That’s right,” the woman sat down.

“What do you want with me?” Namjoo wondered. “I mean, I don’t have money. I can’t pay for plastic surgery.”

Smiling, “That’s not why you’re here.”

“Oh…” Namjoo paused. “Then why?”

“So this is what Jongin’s girlfriend is like.”

“No, no,” Namjoo immediately shook her head. “I’m really no one.”

Hyunki continuing smiling. Namjoo couldn’t read her. “To be quite honest, it was our strategy to make you Jongin’s girlfriend.”

“What?” she asked with a hint of bewilderment.

“I’ve thought about it and you could be in for some gain as well,” Hyunki strategically began reeling her in.

“Why?” Namjoo defensively asked. “You’re basically using me.”

“Hear me out,” Hyunki said. “Would you be interested in a job that could get you a few thousand dollars?”

Quieting, Namjoo debated about it.

“It’s quite a deal,” Hyunki persuaded. “People are interested in you. They want to know you and see you. What do you say?”

Namjoo stared at her then frown. “I don’t get it. Why me?”

“Other than being Jongin’s girlfriend, they’re curious. I am as well. You could say,” she leaned back into the couch and propped an arm up, “there’s something likeable about you.”

Namjoo got the shivers. That was certainly something she’d never heard before from someone and it was indeed quite cringeworthy.

“No, please don’t say that.”

“Would you like to try?” Hyunki asked. “I could lay out everything here, right now. Of course, though, you’d have to sign a contract with the company. You’ll become our person, but the job will be yours.”

“You didn’t tell me what the job was.”

“A writer would like to cast you for her drama,” Hyunki explained. “It’s a role she’ll be creating specifically for you. Are you interested?”

“Am I supposed to say yes?”

Brow raising Hyunki continued to grin.

₪₪₪₪₪

The very second Namjoo reached home she rushed off to her bedroom and pulled up Kai’s biography. Not only were his works many – dramas, movies, modeling, musicals – but his relationships were plenty – actresses, models, singers, even had a rumor with one of his male co-stars.

He sure did have a hit list. Just the kind of guy that left a woman in awe. Not only that, but he donated plenty to charity which meant he was more than well off. He visited the countryside and helped the elderly, played with kids at orphanages, and even visited facilities with disabled peoples. Sure didn’t sound like the jerk she’d met.

She’d met many two-faced people before but not someone that went as far as this extent. Did that mean all celebrities were fake? Namjoo pondered over that thought.

Hee burst through the door without warning surprising her. Slamming her laptop shut she turned around. There was no way she wanted that woman finding out that she was looking up Kai.

“What?” Namjoo asked.

“I’m going out. Do you want to come with?” The woman was all dolled up in heavy makeup. Her short dress her signature. Obviously, she wouldn’t be returning home in the evening.

“No, I have to get up early.”

“Why?”

Namjoo hesitated then said, “I think I just got a job.”

Her mother left, she slept, and woke up at the break of dawn. Digging through her kitchen for something that wasn’t expired she ate, put on some makeup, tied her hair back, and pulled on the best of professional clothes she had. Blue pants and white blouse. The best she could do. The next several minutes was spent frolicking over her heels meant for clubbing and partying. Sighing frustrated because shoes didn’t match outfit she stripped and slipped into jeans but kept the blouse.

“Wow, I look like a loser,” Namjoo commented staring at herself in the mirror. Shrugging it off she slipped into tennis shoes and headed off.

The cab she’d called earlier was out front waiting for her. Sliding into the backseat Namjoo asked after telling him her destination, “Sir, do I look better with my hair up or should I leave it down?”

“You sound just like my daughter,” the driver said with a bright laugh.

Well, that helped. Deciding not to bother with her appearance any further Namjoo stared out into the street. They pulled up in front of JJ Entertainment half an hour later. When she leaned forward to hand him money he asked, “Are you going for an audition?”

“Not quite.”

“Good luck.”

Namjoo smiled a thanks before stepping out onto the sidewalk. She peered up at the building looming over her and deeply inhaled. The sky was blue, clouds white and clear. Sunny with no hint of rain. Temperature good? Check. Did she look ok? Good.

Girls began shrieking madly causing Namjoo to turn at the chaos. Man, did they sound wild. She watched a black van pull up to the curb. A moment later Kai alighted from the vehicle. Long body dressed in branded clothes. She didn’t understand how he could look so suave so early in the morning.

Namjoo raised a hand up to wave with a silly grin before hurrying toward him. The mean stares of threat she received didn’t worry her. Yesterday, she had agreed to the last clause of her contract. Throughout the rest of her new career she would have to be Kim Jongin’s also known as Kai’s girlfriend in order to receive her pay. For the rest of the year her life would hang solely on this drama she had signed up for.

“Good morning!” Namjoo cheerily greeted clinging onto his arm. “My boyfriend!”