Sora moved a little back from the mirror and sighed.

‘Well, that’ll have to do,’ she murmured. ‘Think it’s all right, Lee Jin?’

Choi Min viewed at Lee Jin’s creation with much appreciation. ‘It to me seems a very beautiful gown,’ he said.

‘The gown’s great but it’s the person you need to work on,’ Lee Jin sighed. ‘Take it off, Sora,’ as she glanced at Sora.

Choi Min looked humorously at Lee Jin. ‘Do you think I would take on a losing game?’

‘Not for a moment, I believe you have a plan, Choi Min-si,’ Lee Jin giggled.

‘Sora is still an uncut gem, in its natural state. Money works wonders. We’ll finish the ‘product’ when we are back in Seoul.’ said Choi Min as he passed the air tickets to Lee Jin for both of them. One-way tickets, he has no intention of coming back to this village again.

Lying on her tiny sparse bedroom

The night before leaving her hometown in Busan, Sora lied in bed and felt everything so surreal to her. Just three months ago, during the December bitter winter, she was helping out at her family fish store when she served Lee Jin and Choi Min-si ‘live’ squids.

‘WAE!!’ screamed Choi Min-si as the black squid ink covered his branded shirt.

‘Ah...it’s nothing! Mianhamnida, Let me clean it for you!’ said Sora, flinging her hand with damp cloth towards the shirt.

‘Eh, no!’ screamed Choi Min while catching hold of Sora’s hand.

‘Ah, it’s painful!’ cried Sora, ‘Very painful sir!'

‘I need you!’ said Choi Min. Everyone was astonished at his words. Choi Min realised the awkward atmosphere he caused with his excitement. ‘No, no, I need you Miss for our next drama. To be my leading lady.’

4pm in Meeting Room of Oleh Entertainment Company, Gangnam, Seoul

They did everything that money could do for her – reinforced by her past three months of diet, massage and constant exercises. Sora stood in front of mirror and turned around. Her shapely legs were too distracting.

‘Eh? Choi Min said. ‘You said something?’

Lee Jin and Sora spoke to him. ‘We were talking about her speech and drama lessons.’

‘Yes, ah yes,’ said Choi Min. ‘I was thinking about that. We’ll have early tomorrow at 9am at SM drama center.’