“I told you this would happen the very first day you told me about her.” Minseok’s manager grabbed the tab from Minseok’s hands and scrolled up. “Just look at this Minseok! ‘Top list actor Kim Minseok dating and ordinary girl.’.... ‘Kim Minseok offends his fans by a dating scandal.’.... ‘Actor Kim Minseok becomes Romeo to a commoner girl’.... Aish, I’m going insane right now!” he slammed the tab on the table and started rubbing his face with both hands.

Minseok watched him in silence. “Hyung just take down the articles. It’ll be fine then.” He muttered. His manager lifted his face from his hands and glared at the actor. “The movie premier is next week and you want to take a risk? You’ll get ruined at this rate!” he yelled again.

Minseok sighed.

“You want me to break up?”

“What else? The agency is trying to bite my head off asking me if this is true. I covered you up for now but I can’t do it forever Minseok-ah,” he explained. “You shouldn’t have started this in the first place. I always told you so. Why the English tutor??? You’ve acted with countless hot actresses so just get one of them!”

Minseok sighed again. “Fine... I’ll take care of that so stop grumbling and take down the articles.” He stood up from his chair and walked into his room.

 

 

Kim Minseok was considered as an ‘A list actor’ in the industry, who became one of the most popular actors in the country, just after one mini drama series. Since then, he acted in numerous dramas, and several movies, climbing higher and higher in the ladder of fame. At the moment, he was one of the highest paid artist in the industry, and was getting ready for his new movie release. It was then; his dating scandal broke out, setting the world on fire, because ‘The Kim Minseok’ was dating a common girl.

 

She was Lee Jinju. About six months ago, Minseok thought he needed to polish his foreign languages, and hired an English tutor. Since then, Jinju worked as his English tutor, and eventually the two became close and started dating. He might not admit it, but Minseok lived happier, after he met her.

 

 

That evening too, Jinju arrived at his apartment, for his weekly class. Her usual bright smile replaced by an anxious look, she sat at the table, and waited for him to take a seat as well.

“What did your manager-nim say? Can he take down those articles?” she asked worriedly.

Minseok nodded. “He’ll take care of it.”

Jinju heaved a sigh in relief. “Thank goodness. I was so worried. The hate comments were almost unbearable.” She said, wrinkling her eyebrows. “Now it’ll be fine right? And when they see your awesome acting in the movie, people will forget everything.” She said, beaming at him.

 

“Jinju-yah,” Minseok spoke up.

“Hmm?”

“Taking down the articles itself won’t solve the problem.” He said.

She looked at him with widened eyes.

“We have to stop this.”

 

 

Her lips trembled before words came out.

“What do you mean Minseok?”

 

“Let’s break up Jinju.”

 

He didn’t even flinch while saying those words.

 

Jinju stared at him for a while. And slowly, her mind started comprehending what he just said.

 

“Ah,” she managed to utter. “We... alright then...” she mumbled.

 

“Still you can work as my tutor. I know you have difficulties, so I won’t take away your job. Work here until you find another place.” Minseok said.

Jinju blinked at him, and slowly nodded.

“You don’t have to do today’s lesson then. You can take a leave. I’ll see you on Thursday.” He said.

Jinju nodded again, and started gathering her belongings slowly. Just then the doorbell rang and Minseok went to open it. “Hi...come in.” He greeted the people at his door, and a journalist and a photographer walked in. The journalist girl eye Jinju, and turned to Minseok at once.

“Did we arrive at a wrong time Minseok-ssi?” she asked with a smirk.

“Wrong time?” Minseok widened his eyes as if having no idea about what the girl said. Then he looked over at Jinju, and let out a chuckle.

“You’ve got the wrong idea Ms.Jung. That’s my English tutor. She’ll be leaving now.” He said, gesturing the two visitors to sit on his couch.

 

Jinju felt her eyes filling with tears in no time, and before they could roll down her cheeks, she quickly packed her bag and walked to the door. “See you on Thursday Minseok-ssi.” She gave a quick bow in his direction, and left the apartment as quick as possible.

“Do you guys too believe in those rumours? Gosh I’m offended!” she heard his voice before she closed the door.

 

* * * * * * * *

 

Minseok woke up the next morning, hearing his mobile phone ring. His hand crawled onto the bed side table and fished the phone while still having his eyes closed, and pressed the answer buttoned and placed it on his ear under the blanket. “Good morning chagiya,” he mumbled in a groggy voice.

“Chagiya? Since when did I become your chagiya Minseok?”

His manager’s voice came from the other end, laced with sarcasm. He quickly opened his eyes and looked at the caller ID.

“Junyoung Hyung”

 

 

 

 

“Oh hyung,” he placed the phone back on his ear.

“The photo shoot is at 8.00 a.m. I’ll pick you in half an hour.” Minseok hummed in reply.

“Did you talk that with Jinju?”

“Jinju? What...oh, yeah I did hyung. It’s over.” Minseok muttered.

“Hmm. Good for you. Now get ready quickly.” He hung off the phone.

 

Minseok sat up and rubbed his eyes. He didn’t remember that he broke up with her the day before, until his manager asked him. He was so used to wake up every day with a call from her, and today it felt weird.

“Ugh, whatever.” He got out of bed and walked into the bathroom.

 

 

 

He stepped into the shower.

“Why do they need to have a shower scene in all your dramas?” he remembered her asking.

“The reasons are obvious. You want me to prove?”

He remembered how he started ing his shirt, just to .

 

He shook the thought off and took the shampoo bottle.

And he remembered how each time his arms got injured by action scenes, she washed his hair for him.

“Just snap out of it Kim Minseok. Do you wanna ruin your own carrier?” he muttered to himself and opened the shampoo bottle.

 

 

Stepping out of the bathroom, he walked into his wardrobe. He opened it, and his hand went straight towards a coffee brown sweater.

“If you’re feeling gloomy, wear a light and bright colour. It’s lighten up you day!”

Her words came ringing in his ears.

He took a white t-shirt and a sky blue striped shirt out with black denim jeans.

 

* * * * * * * *

 

It was Thursday, and finally Minseok was having a few hours free time after shooting nonstop for days. He lazily wandered around inside his apartment, until the bell rang.

He went to open the door.

“Do you have to ring the bell? You know the password so just come in!” he let her in and walked ahead of her. She stood at the door in silence for a while, and finally walked in.

“Minseok-ssi,” she called him, not taking a seat at the table as usual.

Minseok turned back with a questioning look.

“I want to quit this job.” She said.

Minseok stayed silence for a while, and then walked back to her, and stood in front of her with his hands in his track pant pockets. “Did you find a new job?” he asked. Jinju remained silent.

Minseok watched her face for a moment, and nodded. “Fine, let’s do that, if it’s more comfortable for you.” he said. And she remained silent, her eyes casted down, not daring to look at his eyes straight.

“But Jinju, do me one last favour.” He said. “I have a press conference about the movie, and they might ask me to say something for my international fans as well. So please help me make that one last lines.”

Jinju took a deep breath in, and looked up. “Alright, I’ll help you with that and leave.” She walked to the table and sat there.

 

 

“Won’t this be too long? Or...maybe it’s good. All I need to say is a brief description about the movie and tell the fans to definitely watch it.” Minseok went on, reading the lines Jinju had written for him. Meanwhile Jinju, was staring at the table in front of her, her eyes filled with tears, and not hearing a single word he said.

He looked up from his paper when she didn’t answer. And a sigh escaped his lips as he started rubbing his temple. “Look here Lee Jinju.” He said aloud, making the girl snap out of the daze she was in, and looked at him with teary eyes.

“Is this your first ever break up? I thought you were over it now.” He sighed. “Do you want a drink? It might help.” He asked, and finally tears started rolling down from her eyes.

“I... I want to go home.” She mumbled. “Let me leave please.” She pleaded, tears now streaming down her cheeks.

Minseok sighed and nodded. “Fine I’ll take care of this somehow. You can-”

His phone started ringing. He took it and answered. “Yes Mr. Nam.”

It was his agency’s CEO. He was asking him about the rumours, which had most died down since the articles were taken down and no paparazzi were able to catch a glimpse of him with a girl.

“No, it’s alright now Mr. Nam,” Minseok answered with a smile. “Even my SNS comments are back to normal. Nothing much hateful there now.” He said. “No Mr. Nam, it was just a rumour you see, and I never thought you, of all people, would believe it.”

 

Jinju stared at the man in front of her, talking through the phone as if she was invisible. He didn’t have the slightest touch of hurt in his voice, and talked like nothing happened at all.

A loud sod escaped her lips. And she covered with both her hands.

Minseok looked at her with widened eyes. “Crying? A girl? Geez Mr. Nam it’s the TV here.” He replied quickly with a chuckle.

Unable to bear it anymore, and unable to stop herself from crying, Jinju grabbed her bag and ran straight out of the room.

 

 

He cancelled the call after a while and stayed still for a while. And a waved of anger rushed over him, and he threw his phone across the room to smash against a wall.

 

* * * * * * * *

 

It was night shooting for him, and the drama had a scene of the couple kissing in rain. Artificial rain equipment was arranged, and the shooting started.

“Action!”

Minseok stepped forward in the rain, and grabbed the actress by her waist, and planted his lips on her.

“Cut!”

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