Byul wasn’t able to call as much as before. She said she was busy and I told her that I totally understand. I didn’t mention the part where I was worried about her. The last time we met was when she took me out on a date. That was when she was in a rush to fly back home and the obvious change in her demeanor told me something was wrong.

After then, the calls weren’t every morning and night. We still exchange emails like usual but it’s always her who insists on calling me. So when she has to apologize for skipping a call, I know something’s bothering her.

She never told me the real reason why and I never pry her to tell me anything.

She made up all the missed calls by flying here a day earlier for their usual quarterly meetings. Being extra clingy to me the whole day. Being even more affectionate. She showered me with love and kisses.

If love even exists in her dictionary.

Ever since she deemed us exclusive, she never shied away from people’s stares. Not even to Yong or Wheein. Our usual banter still exists but I think the two Kims had noticed the change in our dynamics, especially with how Byul stayed close to me even at work. I know Wheein and Yong noticed it, Byul thought so too, but they never made a comment about it.

“Will that be all?” Yong asked, turning to look at me after we had finally concluded the end of the first quarter meeting. She sighed heavily and leaned back on her chair, letting her arm dangle on her side while her other hand rested on her growing belly. “Please tell me that’s everything” she whispered beside me, making me lightly chuckle.

“I wish that was all but I had to insert a client meeting today since you’ll be taking a leave tomorrow for your monthly checkup” I said, eyes on my work tablet to check on our client’s whereabouts. “Also, I kind of took advantage that you’re here in the office.” I glanced at Yong and smiled when I saw Byul caressing her hand on Yong’s baby bump. “I know you wanted to interview new clients personally”

Yong pouted at me as she whispered, “Can we make it really fast? I don’t want to worry Wheein if I finish late”

“Of course.” I glanced at my work tablet when I received an email from our client. “They’re on their way. The staff already sent them here. Let me just pick them up” I said, standing up and closing my tablet.

“Do you want me to go with you?” Byul asked, already pushing her chair back.

“It’s okay. Please stay with Yong and make sure she doesn’t give birth two months earlier than expected. We don’t want Wheein charging here with her tiny fists and paintbrushes” I said jokingly, smiling at Byul’s giggles.

“Hey…” Yong mumbled, trying to act mad but still ended up laughing with us. “That’s a really cute sight though”

“I know…” I whispered before I excused myself.

Byul frowned at me when I passed by her, which made me raise an eyebrow. She only shook her head before she stood up and turned her back to me. She started stretching her legs and arms and got me all confused.

What? What is wrong with her?

I shrugged and continued walking to head to the elevators. My strut turned a little sluggish when her reaction finally clicked. A smirk was on my lips while I gently shook my head on my way to meet our client.

Did I get the Moon heir jealous?

I know I have no more feelings towards Wheein. I told her about this the last time she got jealous too but she was drunk back then. I don’t know if she remembered what I said to her that night. And besides, if she didn’t insist on going exclusive instead of being in a relationship, she would’ve known by now that I love her and not Wheein.

I greeted our client with a smile as I bowed at them. “Good afternoon, Miss Young” I greeted, shaking hands with her and what I assumed was her secretary. “Miss Kim and Miss Moon are waiting for you in the conference room”

She looked confused for a second and looked at her secretary, Miss Kyong, who only shrugged at her.

“Is there something wrong?” I asked, my eyes nervously bouncing at the two of them.

Miss Young smiled at me and shook her head. “No. There was just a moment of confusion but there’s nothing to worry about, Miss Ahn. I apologize”

I shook my head again and smiled at them. It was a little bit odd but I get confused sometimes. I let it pass and escorted them to the conference room where Yong and Byul were already waiting. I led them to the seats closer to the head of the table. They all shook hands and introduced themselves before we all sat down. I sat beside Yong and opened my laptop, ready to take down the minutes.

“She still didn’t know?” Miss Young said, making me look up from my laptop.

I saw her looking at Byul who shook her head. They all suddenly looked at me, surprising me and making me flustered. I looked at them one by one, my brows impossibly raised high up. My hands clasped together as I gulped hard. My eyes landed on Yong and Byul.

“What?” I asked them but it was Miss Young who answered me.

“Miss Moon told me to contact you to set a schedule. She did inform me that she didn’t tell you anything and I assume that you still had no idea of it until now” Miss Young explained while my eyes stared at her, at Byul and at Yong, who also seemed to know what this is about.

“Aren’t you… here to talk with them? For your hotel?” I asked, stuttering.

Miss Young is an owner of a beach resort called Caribbean Bay. Yong and Byul also furnish hotels and resorts. They are part of their target market so when Miss Young asked to set a schedule for a meeting, I didn’t hesitate because a new client is a new opportunity. Also, Yong approved the schedule and wanted to meet them personally.

“I am actually here to talk to you” Miss Young said, smiling at me while my eyes widened.

“Me? Why me?” I asked, unconsciously pushing my chair far away from them.

Byul suddenly leaned closer to Yong and said, “Change seats with her?”

“Okay” Yong whispered while Byul stood up.

She dragged Yong’s chair with Yong still sitting on it. She held my chair’s armrest and rolled me to where Yong was sitting earlier. I was now in between them while Byul sat down again. They both looked so relaxed. Yong even assumed my position and started typing on my laptop.

“What’s happening?” I whispered to Byul as I held her arm. “What did you tell them that I had no idea of? What’s going on?”

She grabbed my hand and moved closer to me. She held my hand and hid it under the table while she stared at me intently. “Miss Young will be explaining it to you so let’s listen to her first, okay? You have nothing to worry about”

“I am very worried,” I mumbled while she only chuckled and squeezed my hand as she turned to face Miss Young.

“I’m looking for a model to market our hotel,” Miss Young said before she pointed at Byul. “Byul and I knew each other back when I was still staying in the States. She suggested you”

Miss Kyong turned her tablet and showed us pictures Byul took of me the day before Wheein and Yong’s wedding. “These are some of the pictures Miss Moon sent”

I glared at Byul while she only grinned at me, squeezing my hand under the table. I tried to pull my hand from her hold but she held it firmly. I just dug my nails on her skin, making her flinch and frown at me.

“Oh yeah… You look good, Hyejin. Byul took this?” Yong asked.

“Of course!” Byul proudly answered.

“You sent my pictures without my permission” I whispered between clenched teeth but she ignored me and faced Miss Young.

“What are your terms and conditions?” Byul asked.

“How much are you going to pay her?” Yong added.

“You knew about this?” I asked Yong, and just like Byul, she also ignored me.

Both of them stared at Miss Young intently. 

“Let’s discuss the concept you’re going for. The shots you have planned.” Byul looked at Miss Kyong and asked, “You’re the photographer, right?”

Oh, she’s not the secretary?

“Yes, Miss Moon”

“You’ll be working under the sun if it’s a beach resort advertisement. We won’t allow it if you’re letting her work under the heat for a long time” Yong said while my eyes bounced between her and Byul. “Beach resorts usually go for that sunny vibe but you can also present a good romantic night vibe for your hotel”

“I want all the lists of the people she’ll be working with. Her safety and security is still our priority” Byul said, in protective mode.

“We should also discuss the pay,” Yong said once again.

They never let Miss Young and Miss Kyong say something. They never let me say something. Miss Young and Miss Kyong’s eyes bounced between Yong and Byul like me too. I haven't even agreed on anything yet. I was still wrapping my head at the fact that Miss Young wanted me as a model to market their hotel. I don’t even know how that works. All I know is how to be Yong’s EA. Nothing else.

“About the pay… This will be her first modeling and advertisement gig but from the pictures, I think we can all say that she’s really talented. She’s easy to work with. I have firsthand experience working with her in a casual photoshoot”

“And by the way, when do you plan to have this photoshoot started?” Yong asked, still not giving any of us an opportunity to say something.

“We can give her two weeks of preparation if she’s not ready—”

“She’s ready” Byul inserted, making me glare at her.

How the hell am I ready for this photoshoot? I’m not even ready for this meeting!

“She exercises everyday. She’s physically fit, if that’s what you’re asking about”

Miss Young shrugged before she said, “If so… then we can have the photoshoot the day after tomorrow. If it doesn’t interfere with her schedule”

“Hold on” I said but my voice wasn’t heard over Yong’s.

“I can clear her schedule if you want it the day after tomorrow” Yong said and I glared at her this time.

I’m the EA between the two of us. Not her. What is she doing? What is going on?

“Okay” Byul said with a clap of finality. “Let’s discuss extensively the terms and agreement, as well as the concept of this photoshoot”

“Hold on a second” I said, finally gathering all of their attention. “I haven’t agreed to anything yet. In fact—” I turned to Miss Young and looked at her a little apologetically—“I don’t think I am qualified to be a model or that I will ever qualify to be a model and I have no experience as a model. That’s why I will be declining the offer. I’m so sorry, Miss Young”

Byul lifted a finger before Miss Young could even say something. “Let me talk to her for a second. I think there has been some misunderstanding. Excuse us” Byul said before standing up, taking me with her.

She walked us to the corner of the room, away from Yong, Miss Young and Miss Kyong. I just let her because making a fuss is not my thing, but I’m just calm on the outside. Definitely very mad at her on the inside. She made me stand with my back to them while she stood close to me without letting go of my hand.

“I’m mad at you right now” I whispered, glaring hard at her. “You sent my pictures without my permission. You made a deal behind my back. What the is wrong with you, Byul?” I hissed, spatting right in front of her face.

She sighed and frowned apologetically, her thumb running on my hardening fist around her fingers. “I’m sorry but I have my reasons, Jin”

“Explain everything then”

“You don’t want me to help you pay your family’s debt. I talked with Yong if she can find a way since you’re directly working under her. She doubled your pay when you stayed with her. She wanted to triple it and even pay you multiple times more than your regular salary but I know you won’t like that. You got upset when I literally wanted to hand you the money to pay your family’s debt. How will that be different with Yong willingly paying you more?”

“So this was your idea?” I asked, a little bit calmer now but I was still mad at my pictures being sent without my permission.

“Yes… I couldn’t just tell them that I know someone good and fit for the job without sending proof. I only sent three, babe. I made them sign an agreement not to spread your photos because I know you’ll be mad at me. I wasn’t recklessly spreading your photos. Still… I’m sorry”

I sighed heavily and looked away while my grip on her hand loosened.

“Listen…” Byul said, pulling me a little closer to her. “Yong knew about this and she’s willing to let you on this extra gig. Our initial deal is they’ll be paying you a hundred and twenty thousand. It’s way less but it’s understandable since this is still your first time.”

“A hundred and twenty thousand won?” I asked, pouting at the figures.

Byul nodded as she said, “A hundred and twenty thousand won per hour. Yong will grant you a paid leave so you’ll be paid by Tiff for the gig and still get paid by Yong”

It’s unfamiliar but it’s not bad at all…

“Tiff?” I asked, my eyes narrowing at her.

Byul looked away and gulped hard as she whispered, “She’s not part of the list. We’re just friends. I swear… I only talked to her because of this.” She met my gaze but immediately casted her eyes downwards. “Please don’t look at me like that, Jin”

“You sound so defensive” I whispered softly, enjoying how she’s getting slightly flustered.

“You scare me, babe.” She held my hand firmly and met my gaze again. Although her eyes were still shaking, she held my gaze this time. “We’ll make sure that you’ll be fine. The photoshoot might last for the entire day. It’s tiring but I know you’ll want to pay your family’s debt by working hard. It’s the only way I can help you, Jin. Please… please accept this. I’m running out of ideas to help you already”

I chuckled softly as I shook my head. I closed my eyes and sighed heavily while rubbing my temples. I could not believe she had been thinking about helping me since she knew about my family’s debt. I could kiss her right now if not for the people that might be staring at us.

“Hyejin?” she whispered softly, squeezing my hand.

“Just give me a heads up next time, okay?” I said, bringing my eyes to her again. “Don’t put me in a position where it’s hard to decline even when I don’t want to do it”

“So you don’t want to?” she asked, pouting.

The pout was definitely hard to resist. I wanted to squeeze her pouting lips with my fingers. 

“I don’t but I wanted to try… I’m done letting my parents work hard for this debt” I answered and that literally lit up her face as she smiled so wide at me. “In one condition…”

“What condition?” she asked, smirking and raising an eyebrow at me. Reminding us of our very first predicament when we exchanged favors.

“Will you be there for the photoshoot?”

She smiled wider as she squeezed my hand reassuringly. “I plan to be there, of course”

The shoot was inevitably moved to a later date. With Yong’s suggestion of marketing the resort both as a vibrant vacation place and a luxurious romantic resort, Miss Young had more things to prepare on her end. Byul even suggested that we can also shoot both photos and videos for advertisement, adding even more things to prepare. My face wouldn’t just be all over the resort but will be on the national TV once the ads air.

They definitely added way more things for me to do than Byul and Miss Young’s initial plan. I will be having more exposure, which was something I never desired, but they also raised my pay. It’s a huge risk but this will also definitely take a huge number from our family’s debt.

Byul already flew back to New York after their first quarter meeting but she promised to fly back here for my shoot. The last time I read her email, she apologized because she won’t be able to arrive early to stay with me for the whole day. But she promised that she’ll be here.

Junghwa and Jessi stayed with me for the whole day. My sisters also dropped by to see how I was doing. I wasn’t able to talk to them and could only wave at them since I was very busy. Hyori couldn’t be here but she called before the shoot started to cheer for me. Jessi and Junghwa were my biggest cheerleaders as of the moment.

“Cut!”

The staff hurriedly walked towards me with a towel and a robe. One helped me put on the robe while the other hand dried my hair after the man-made waves in the pool crashed into me. They got my hair slightly damp before they combed it again for the next shot.

Mr. Yoon, the director who’s somewhere near my father’s age, slowly approached us with a huge smile on his face and a thumbs-up. I softly laughed at him while nodding and raising a thumbs-up too.

“Good job” he said, standing in front of me now.

“Thank you, Mr. Yoon” I said, my voice a little hoarse.

We started the shoot with a makeup-free face while wearing house clothes. They made me act and say a few lines. Then I changed into a red one-piece bikini, which was what I was wearing currently. I sat in front of the mirror to get my hair and makeup done for almost two hours.

For the whole morning, they made me try all the rides. They said that I was free to shout as loud as I could if I wanted to. I wanted to. And so I shouted as loud as I could because the slides all knocked the breath out of me. I was very scared but I had to work as well. That’s when my voice went hoarse from all the shouting.

The afternoon scenes were far more relaxed. All I had to do was to feel myself, have fun, and enjoy the water. I splashed water everywhere. Kicked some to the camera. Thankfully, they’re waterproofed. The staff loves my energy and I’m thankful that they made the shoot comfortable for a newbie like me.

I could feel their uneasiness this morning, knowing that they’ll be working with someone who has no experience. But I think they all threw it out of the window and decided to trust me after we finished the first scenes faster than they expected.

I thanked the staff once they were done tending to me before I wrapped the robe on me. “What’s next?” I asked Mr. Yoon as we walked back to the drier area.

“We’ll give you a five-minute break then you’ll have the photoshoot with Miss Kyong while we prepare for the next scene”

“Okay… Thank you”

He patted my back and said, “Good job. Go take a break”

I smiled as I bowed to him, thanking him once again. I thanked the staff as I walked past them on my way to the dressing room. A lot of them complimented me for doing a good job. Even Miss Young rain several compliments