When people look at her, they see a girl with dark hair falling past her shoulder and chocolate eyes matched with pearly white smiles. They see an older man helping a girl off of an expensive car, strutting around in her expensive outfit. They see a girl with everything that she could ever want – but not with the things she needed.

  They don’t see the girl carrying her parent’s expectations on her shoulder. They don’t see the girl behind the smile, behind the mask she’s forced to wear every single day. They don’t see the girl chained by the rules her family set.

  They never see the girl trying to remain calm outside her father’s office. Her nerves shaking, eyes glancing around every time there’s as much as a small sound made. She smoothened out her clothes, chastising herself for being jumpy. She mentally went through all the possible reasons for her to be called in.

  Her exams are still a month away so highly doubt it has anything to do with her schoolwork. The charity event she organized a few weeks ago had went off without a hitch – even her parents agreed. She already went through all the reports her parents had passed to her hoping that she’d learn enough to be able to take over the company someday.

  Before she could dwell any further, the office door opened and she was faced to face with her father’s bespectacled secretary. The older man led her into the office where her father was just hanging up on a phone call.

  Kim is one of the most common name in South Korea. However, when it is associated with the Jekyll & Hyde Law Firm, everyone is instantly reminded of the grey hair man in a sharp suit splayed out on the sign boards, promising success in arguments they can’t win on their own. A man that is known to be nice and sweet in public but turn into a beast in court. A man who will fight to the end for his clients.

  But Hyunjung knew this man as her father.

  “Hyunjung, I’m glad you’re here,” he said, smiling at his only child. “I need to talk to you about that charity event you helped plan.”

  “What is it?” she asked. “Was Miss Joon not happy with the results? One of the donors decided to pull back their money?”

  The man chuckled, “No, no, no. Nothing like that. Are the names, Cheng Xiao, Kwon Soonyoung, Lee Jihoon, Meng Meiqi or Wu Xuanyi familiar to you?”

  “They were on the guest list,” Hyunjung answered, despite knowing that this wasn’t enough for the older man.

  “Cheng Xiao is a Chinese acrobat training here and looking for accommodations. Kwon Soonyoung is the heir of the Kwon Winery Farm and his family is currently fighting to keep it in their family. Lee Jihoon is the son of the executive music producer, Lee Joonmi. Wu Xuanyi and Meng Meiqi are two Chinese heiresses here to spend the Lunar New Year with some of their friends here.”

  When she couldn’t come up with a reply with a basic nod, he sighed and asked, “Do you realize what’s wrong with all of this?”

  Hyunjung pursed her lips, still not sure where this was heading.

  “You don’t have any of their number.” When she instinctively reached for her phone in her bag, he added, “Their personal numbers. Numbers they only give out to those they trust. The first people they would call when they run into trouble. You don’t have that.”

  “Right, I’m still working on that,” Hyunjung said. “These people, they’re a lot harder to get close to than the usual clientele.”

  “Hyunjung, they’re around your age. It should be easier for you to mingle with them. I’ve told you so many times. These people will be important to you in the future. They are the people you need when you open your own company. These people are the ones you reach out to when you need a boost. One day they’re going to be climbing up the ladder so fast, they’ll be too busy for you. You should get their contact before they do.”

  Hyunjung could do nothing but nod as she listened.

  “That is why,” her father said. “I have arranged for you all and a handful of other young minds to come together this Saturday at the grand Hilton Hotel. I expect you to go there and come back with your phone filled with new contacts.”

  “Yes Dad.”

***

  Im Nayeon was the epitome of beauty. With her dark hair falling past her shoulders and beautiful brown eyes matched with her adorable smile. She had the world at her feet. Her brother, Im Jaebum, was no different with his charismatic gaze that had every girl swooning, dark hair was always a perfect balance between a casual mess and down for business.

  Then there was Dayoung. Im Dayoung. With her brown hair that she constantly wears down, just because if she wore it up in anyway – be it ponytails, pigtails or whatever kind of tails there are – she would just look like a little kid and nowhere close to being as pretty as her cousin, Nayeon. Her clothes are a lot simpler seeing that she can’t afford the branded ones.

  Dayoung didn’t hate her cousins. She couldn’t. Nayeon was a sweetheart who looked after her ever since they were kids. Jaebum, despite his nonchalant chic image, he was just as kind and was constantly ready to help in anyway.

  Their family deserved all they got. After her uncle left, her Aunt Yoona switched back to her maiden name and raised two kids on her own while managing a clothing store. Now years later, Im is a household name in the fashion industry and their clothing lines are worth millions.

   Her Aunt was kind enough to give Dayoung a paid internship in the company. But that also meant she had to work under her cousins, which admittedly, was a bit embarrassing. There she was at the coffee table, trying to figure out whether it was really Mr Min who wanted his coffee with milk no sugar or Miss Jung who didn’t want coffee, just tea. She obviously couldn’t go back and ask. Eunchae, one of the other interns, were also not around to help. She had to figure this one on her own.

  She was busy trying to figure it out to notice one of her cousins sneaking up on her. She was just lucky she wasn’t holding either cups or she would’ve dropped it. She whirled around to see Nayeon laughing at her reaction, pouting at the older girl unamused.

  “What are you doing?” the older girl asked.

  “Trying to figure out who wants coffee, who wants tea,” she answered, going back to her job. “I think Mr. Min wants the coffee with milk, no sugar, and Miss Jung wants tea with three spoonful.”

  “You’re almost right,” Nayeon told her. “Mr. Min wants coffee with three spoonful of sugar while Miss Jung wants her tea with no sugar and two spoons of condensed milk.”

  “Right, she’s the only one around here who drinks her tea that way,” Dayoung said, bending down to get the condensed milk from the fridge. “Who ever heard of anyone drinking tea that way?”

  “I don’t know,” her cousin shrugged. “Something she must’ve picked up during that fashion tour of hers.”

  Dayoung hummed in return as she carefully made the two drinks, “So why are you down here? Didn’t you just get the job as junior merchandiser?”

  “Yeah, I actually have to get there soon,” Nayeon said, glancing at her watch. “I’m here to ask you a favor.”

  “What is it?”

  “I’ve been invited to some kind of dinner this Saturday at the Hilton Hotel,” she told the younger. “I would make Jaebum go, but that idiot quickly disappeared as soon as he heard about it. So Mum is making me go instead.”

  “Yeah, I’m sorry but I don’t even know where your brother goes every day,” Dayoung said.

  “Oh, he’s probably off working on that JJ Project of his,” Nayeon said, making a face. “But Jihyo and I has made plans to go to the opening event at MJ Hall where the legendary Sunmi will be making a comeback after years. Obviously, I have to go.”

  Dayoung could only nod, as she mixed in the sugar with the coffee.

  “So, I need you to go instead this Saturday,” Nayeon concluded.

  “What?” Dayoung asked, wincing when she realized she had spilled over the milk pot. She quickly picked up the pot, while Nayeon grabbed some tissues, and helped wipe the milk that was already spilling on to the floor.

  “You want me to impersonate you?!” Dayoung asked a little too loud, causing Nayeon to signal her to quieten down. She glanced around, making sure no one was within earshot. “I can’t do that. We look nothing alike!”

  “Not impersonate me. Just be yourself,” Nayeon said. “The invitation says any one of the Ims can come on Saturday. You yourself is a member of the Im family, thus you are allowed to go.”

  “They want at Im heir,” Dayoung hissed. “Which I am not. If I get caught acting like one, I could be sent to jail.”

  “You won’t get caught, because no one knows who the Im heirs are,” Nayeon reasoned. “Neither Jaebum nor I are known publicly that we are in anyway related to this company. Remember? That was the only way we could get people to stop asking us about Mum. As far as the public is concerned, Im Yoona has two kids. You could just tell them you’re one of the kids.”

  “Nayeon, this is wrong.”

  “Come on, Dayoung,” the older pleaded. “Mum will never have to know, and neither will anyone else. From what I understand, the whole event is only limited to those who are next in line for their family company.”

  “So a bunch of rich kids coming together,” Dayoung deadpanned.

  “The whole thing is supposed to be on the hush hush and only a certain amount of people are invited and so are you!” Nayeon said. “What do you say?”

  “I don’t know how to be a rich kid,” Dayoung told her. “Talking about the latest brands-”

  “Talk about Im fashion.”

  “-the best European restaurants-”

  “Tell them, you only eat local cuisine. Anything else makes you sick.”

  “-all that business talk.”

  “I can help you with that! I can help you with all the basics,” Nayeon said, with that gleam in her eyes that let Dayoung knew, she was not getting out of this.

***

  There’s something palpable in the heavy tension filling the room. Something in the way the two men stared at each other scrutinizing eyes. The older in his striped suit face a shocking contrast to the usual smiley face he wore on his advertisements. But this was a face Wonwoo has grown to known throughout his whole life. One he had hoped to never see again one he reached of age.

  But there he was at 22, forced to work for his father in a company he absolutely detested. All because he needed the money to actually stay in college. Money his father won’t give unless he – Wonwoo, his oldest son, his own flesh and blood – ‘earned his keep’ as the old man put it.

  “I’m surprised you thought of me instead,” he said, monotonously. “Instead of that perfect son of yours.”

  “He’s busy,” the older man told him. “Making a name for himself. Something much more than you can ever dream off.”

  Wonwoo couldn’t even bring himself to scoff. The words have become such a norm for him.

  “However, this is your chance to actually make something out of yourself,” he continue. “This Saturday. 8 pm. Hilton Hotel. Don’t embarrass me.”

  “And what if I don’t want to go?”

  “Then you can say goodbye to your college tuition.”

***

  He could do anything if he had his music with him. This was something he truly believed in. But as he sat there in the small studio listening to a sweet voice singing the words he wrote himself. It was a lot different than hearing him sing it himself in his head. It was softer, gentler, everything she was. From her short, pink dyed hair to her beautiful brown eyes matched with a gentle smile, and a small body that fit his perfectly.

  He knew he was powerless as soon as he met her.

  “Woozi ah, how was that?” Luda asked, in that sweet voice of hers. “Was that good enough?”

  “That was just nice,” he told her, averting his attention to editing the recording.

  “Why couldn’t you have said that with a smile?” she asked, when she got out of the booth. She took a seat next to the composer, not bothered by his lack of response. She took a gulp of water to comfort .

  She glanced at his phone on the table when it lit up, and she managed to read the message before he snatched it up. But it was clearly typed there.

  Hilton Hotel. This Saturday. 8pm. Dress nice, and I’ll have the car come pick u up!

  “I guess I won’t be seeing you here this weekend,” she said, smiling knowingly.

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I hope you like the first chapter! Tell me what you think.