Chapter 5

A Clumsy Proposal

The days were emotionally exhausting for Myung Soo since the shooting had been momentarily suspended as a result of his involvement in a dating scandal. In fact, producers and other executives feared that rumors about the male lead would have a negative impact on the drama production. As for Eun Ae, who had never seen her friend so desperate, she felt helpless because none of her words brought him enough comfort. She could not help him in any way, especially after his manager had advised him to patiently wait while the agency was in a negatiation process with Sun Hee and Jun Seo. The latter felt sorry for Myung Soo. He had posted on his social media pages so as to reject his wife's numerous attempts at reconciliation without expecting that the message would be used against his childhood friend. A public denial of the affair was the best way to end the rumors. However, the married couple was reluctant to make an appearance together when their issue had not been resolved. Consequently, Myung Soo dealt with the aftermath of their hesitation. His whole life was on hold. His professional activities were cancelled, his social life was overturned when fellow entertainers condemned him without proof of his misdeed, and his fans desperately sought the truth behind the scandal. Myung Soo was heartbroken, so much so that he neglected his healthy way of life.

He refused to sleep, to go out, to follow his skin care routine, and his diet was solely composed of instant noodles, which worried Eun Ae a lot. She tried to deliver him a lunchbox on a daily basis, but it was not always possible because she had to tend to her business. The coffee shop had gained in popularity, hence she needed to provide efforts to maintain her enterprise while accompanying her friend through difficulties. Fortunately, he could count on Infinite and Inspirits who showered him with love and support. Eun Ae was convinced that he could overcome any obstacle with the help of his fans.

Nevertheless, she was disappointed in Sun Hee and Jun Seo. Had they held a conference or written a press release in order to clear their friend's name, the scandal would have been forgotten already. She had confronted Jun Seo on several occasions, but he discarded the solution because he thought that it was a sort of punishment to let Sun Hee face the media on her own. Since the agency applied the same guideline, the actress was the only person who could save Myung Soo's reputation and Eun Ae despised the fact that they should rely on a woman she did not like.

 

The situation left her powerless. Her sole purpose was to distract Myung Soo from the issue. It was satisfying to be by his side despite the gloomy days. She could not remember the last time they had spent so much time together. She practically lived with him now, she saw him every mornings and every evenings, and went back to her place for a few hours of sleep. He seemed to appreciate her presence even though he had not verbally expressed his gratitude. He waited for her instead, and it was enough for her to understand that she was needed.

She found him sitting on the floor near the front door, again. He welcomed her with a small hopeless smile, again. She crouched down to reach his level before pulling him in a tight hug. The embrace lasted a few seconds but it healed their souls and made them feel better.

After they stood up, she took him to the kitchen and instructed him to sit at the bar for she needed his feedback on a new recipe.

 

"I'm not really-"

 

She shushed him before he could finish. She was aware of his mindset. She knew that he did not allow himself to engage in the small pleasures of life because his fans felt hurt by the scandal. In her perspective, it was a stupid conduct. His fans would want the best for him no matter the circumstances. So she did not listen to his complaints and handed him a slice of honey-flavored cake along with a spoon. He let her convince him that the dessert tasting was strictly professional before he took a bite. She inquired about his day as he ate, therefore he told her of Infinite's visit, causing her to let out a squeal of delight at the mention of her favorite artist. He was about to voice out his opinion on the recipe but she had lost all interest in it. She cut him off to ask :

 

"How's Sung Gyu Oppa ?"

"As I was saying-"

She stopped his words with her fingers, "later. We can talk about that later. How's Sung Gyu ?"

"He's great. He was anxious about his comeback, but Inspirits love his new song so it's all good."

"Aigoo... he's worried for no reason. His songs are always good! Did you tell him I like it ? Did you tell him I watched the MV when it was released ? Did you tell-"

He cut her off this time : "are you crazy ?"

"I'm just so excited!" she replied while moving her fists in the air cheerfully. "You should have called me when he was here. I haven't seen him in a long time." she acted shy suddenly, using her hands to cover her laugh as she thought aloud : "I bet he still looks hot!"

"Sung Gyu Hyung isn't hot. I'm the visual, remember ?"

"He should have been! He's so y, handsome, charismatic and cute. And his eyes! Oh my God... his eyes!"

Eun Ae's reverie was crushed the moment her forehead was hit by a spoon.

"Yah! Look properly. I'm the visual! The charismatic and cold L! Indifferent yet kind L! The ideal boyfriend L!"

"Nope, Sung Gyu is an ideal boyfriend." she shook her head, "he's handsome, funny, kind, honest, respectful and the list goes on. He's just my style."

Her perseverance was unwavering, so he decided to change the conversation : "the cake is too sweet." He pointed towards the slice of cake in response to her questioning look, "it's too sweet."

"Uh... that's because my life is sweet!" she argued. She cupped her own cheeks, her elbows on the table, and dreamed of her favorite idol until she was abruptly brought back to the present by Myung Soo's words : "my life was sweet too, I don't know why it became so sour."

"Don't say that. I'm sure those rumors will die down."

"I don't know. I'm afraid I have to quit acting."

"Why would you ?" she half-shouted.

"It's the only option if I can't prove I've never dated Sun Hee."

"Don't worry, I'll protect you."

 

It was a promise that Eun Ae could not keep. There were no ways for her to pressurize Jun Seo or Sun Hee, specifically when the latter was protected by an entertainment agency. Yet the sad look on her friend's face was enough to let her believe that she could do anything for him. She spoke with such confidence that Myung Soo wanted to believe her too, although he knew that her hands were tied, he wanted to trust her. Because she was Choi Eun Ae, his closest friend, the one who had always been by his side, the one who made him feel happy even when times were hard. She was the one he trusted and loved the most in this world.

Like this story? Give it an Upvote!
Thank you!

Comments

You must be logged in to comment
DreamyGongju
#1
congrats on winning the bid!
cuteflower
#2
Congrats!! :)
kkuchaen39
#3
congrats on winning the bid!!
Ghad20
12 streak #4
Congratulations on the bid 🥰
mandalee
#5
Chapter 3: Oof. I kind of understand eunhae’s point of view in this state because it IS bad to cheat on someone but her “you gotta choose sides” kind of irked me. I like this chapter because it’s so well written in a way that you highlighted eunhaes personality— very ideal, very strong moral code, probably very defensive, blunt and hardly wishy washy. Amazing chapter!!! I love writings that highlight characters!
WR_Supplier
#6
Congrats on the ad bid feature!
KimmyNurry
692 streak #7
Congrats on the bid! ^^
Minhospuppy
#8
Can't wait to read a myungsoo fan fiction after such a long time!! ^^