Be Ra’s phone rang loudly inside her Louis Vuitton’s handbag. She was currently getting her nails done at the very exclusive salon she frequented. Located in Cheongdam, the salon was within walking distance of her condo. She had specifically told Minhyuk, her daddy’s assistant, to find her an apartment that was near her favorite coffee shop, the gym, and a beauty salon. He’d done a good job, as always.

“Can you fish the phone out of my bag? My hands are currently occupied,” Be Ra instructed the salon lady, nudging her bag across the table with her arm.

The salon lady threw her a dirty look and rummaged through the bag. Be Ra pretended not to notice and inspected her nails meticulously. If there was one thing the heiress was good at it was recognizing a good nail job when she saw one.

“Here you go,” the salon lady held the phone toward her.

Be Ra shot her a nasty smile. “Can you press the speaker button? Don’t wanna ruin all your hard work here, do we?”

The salon woman set her jaw and pressed the touch screen firmly. Be Ra heard a frantic hello on the other end and immediately recognized the voice.

“I am busy, Soobin. I’ll hang up now.”

“Be Ra, where the f*** are you?”

Be Ra’s mouth hung open. She’d never heard Soobin so nervous in her whole life. Her meek friend would never ever swear, especially at her. Be Ra felt slightly offended at being talked at that way. She was the one usually bossing around and treating Soobin somewhat rudely, not the other way around. She was, however, a little worried, but Be Ra tried to pretend like she didn’t care squat.

“For your information, I’m at the nail salon getting a much-needed manicure,” she acidly fired  back.  “It is to celebrate my lead role in the musical Dracula.”

Be Ra shot a quick peek at the salon lady, whom she noted had looked up in interest at her comment. Be Ra made sure to speak a little louder. “I mean, it’s not every day that one lands such a prestigious and important role,” she finished with a giggle. Truth be told, there was not an ounce of prestige or importance to her role. Yes, it was the musical Dracula and she was to be Mina, the main female role; unfortunately, the musical was directed by an old fart whose greatest production was at the local kindergarden with a sock puppet show. Most of the cast, if not all, were a bunch of losers studying drama or music at the community college. The venue for the musical was at Chungmu Art Hall’s Blue Theater. Its capacity being at around 250, Be Ra knew it was far from being the National Theater of Korea. All in all, everything was wrong with the production… “except the female main lead,” Be Ra reminded herself haughtily. Besides, the salon lady and the rest of the world didn’t have to know how ty everything really was. If there was something Be Ra was better at than recognizing a good nail job when she saw one it was pretending that everything was just fine in her life.

She heard her friend scoff and that brought Be Ra back from her reverie. “I don’t think you’ll want to celebrate much after hearing what I’ve got to say,” Soobin grimly informed her. “Tell me there’s a TV at that fancy salon of yours.”

Be Ra’s stomach dropped. Could’ve something terrible possibly happened to her daddy? Or her daddy’s company? If the news were on TV it had to be about his company's stocks. Did that mean she was poor and on the streets now? She’d seen all the movies about the beautiful young heiresses losing their fortunes in the blink of an eye, their lives becoming a living hell of poverty and cheap JC Penney clothing. She was now in panic. Be Ra nodded her head stupidly at the phone and realized Soobin couldn’t see her.

“There is,” she answered. She turned to the salon lady but the woman was already twisting in her seat, remote control in hand. The TV on the opposite wall from them came to life in all its 70-inch glory. Be Ra stifled a cry. The first image that appeared on screen was that of an incredibly handsome man smiling at a bunch of paparazzi cameras in some red carpet event. His tall, lean figure filled her eyes. Sporting a black and gray suit (Armani, Be Ra noted), the man looked  impeccable. His raven hair was parted in the middle, still managing to look stylish. She had no idea how a man’s lips could look so pink and luscious like his did. The anchorwoman droned on and on and Be Ra tore her gaze from the man to focus on what was being said.

“…after that surprising bit of news, the reporters of Channel XH68 sought to ask actor Kim Junsu some questions. Our Hye Sung, celebrity reporter for the channel, got a special pass to the press conference that Junsu’s agent and Junsu himself organized for the media and some lucky fans. Here’s the highlights if you missed our transmission earlier.”

The image on the screen then changed from the studio to an outdoor scene. A long white-mantled table was set up. Kim Junsu and his agent Hyun Shik sat placidly facing the cameras, Junsu smiling genially and gracing everyone with winks and chuckles. Be Ra recognized the place; it was Cheongdam park, close to the Coex Shopping Mall. She had often walked there while waiting for Minhyuk to pick her up after a not so quick errand at the mall.

“I know this press conference was very abruptly announced,” Junsu cleared his throat and began. His words dripped like honey over everyone, including Be Ra. The before frenetical paparazzi and fans hushed as if to catch each and every one of his words. Kim Junsu had a very unique, husky voice that was recognized immediately by anyone who watched movies or TV. He was truly a super star, famous for his multiple talents that included singing on his spare time.

“I’m infinitely grateful that you guys could make it.” He smiled and Be Ra swore that she heard a collective sigh coming from the TV and from her own lips. No wonder Kim Junsu’s face was revered in every household in the country. He appeared to be carved out of marble, not to mention that he was immensely talented and rich.

“I know that the announcement that I will no longer be taking on the lead role for the movie Family Ties shocked and even upset some of you. I am terribly sorry. To make things worse, I seemed to randomly announce that I’d be now participating in a production which none of you guys had heard of before. I must’ve confused you a lot, right?”

Junsu looked like a scolded puppy, his face downcast with a worried frown upon his features. He played with the microphone in his hands. Hyun Shik bumped his shoulder with the actor’s in an encouraging manner. The seasoned agent his microphone and continued.

“The production that Junsu is talking about is the musical Dracula, which was to play for some nights at the Chungmu Art Hall. Our Junsu has always voiced his like and interest on the story of the Romanian count,” at this comment, the couple of fans at the press conference yelled, agreeing with him.

Wait.

“It’s no secret that some of you call him a vampire because of his good looks and youthful appearance,” Hyun Shik tsk-ed at the fans teasingly. The fans shouted once again, their giggles and embarrassed denials creating a high-pitched cacophony. Junsu laughed whole heartedly, his whole face lighting up, earning more shrieks from the fans.  

Hold on.

“That’s why when our Junsu found out about the production that was to take place, he really desired to be in it, participate in it. We didn’t know if auditions had already taken place, if it was even possible for him to be a part of it. Yet we talked to the director and there hadn’t been anyone casted for the Dracula role yet. Our Junsu auditioned just like anyone else and got the role!”

What.

Everyone at the press conference clapped enthusiastically. Junsu bowed his head and smiled gratefully. His agent smiled, clapping as well. Waving his hands to silence the little crowd, Junsu raised the microphone to his mouth.

“I’m looking forward to joining the very talented cast in order to give you guys a show that you will never forget. Please take good care of us. More information about the production, tickets, venues, etcetera will be out soon. Please wait for it,” Junsu finished, a happy smile playing on his lips. The focus of the camera then shifted to a petite reporter who dutifully delivered the news for the event.

“…We can only expectantly wait for Kim Junsu’s participation in the musical Dracula, which, I think, everyone can agree on that he would give a spectacular rendition of Count Dracula. Back to the studio with…”

“Be Ra, are you there?” Soobin asked.

Be Ra’s head was racing. She wasn’t sure that she understood what was going on. What did super star Kim Junsu’s announcement had to do with her? His world and her world had nothing to do with each other’s, right?

“I don’t understand,” Be Ra sputtered finally, immediately feeling stupid for saying that. “What is it to me that he’s quitting a thing to work on another? I’m not his fan or something,” she added, horrified that someone would think that. Be Ra felt her heart racing, her hands shaking uncontrollably. What the hell was going on?

“Kim Be Ra,” Soobin calmly said her name. Be Ra snapped her head to the look at her iPhone, as if it was her friend and not the device in front of her. 

“Kim Junsu is the male lead for the musical Dracula. Your Dracula. The musical you’re the female lead to. You’re acting alongside the country’s most beloved actor. Kim Junsu and Kim Be Ra will be the stars for the musical Dracula. I got a call from the director. He thought I was your agent or something. Did you tell him I was your agent? Well, never mind, it’s unimportant now…Be Ra?”

Be Ra had pressed the End button. 

So it's already here and my friend, the writer, and I, the manager (lol), are too excited and nervous. Hope you like it, and we'll try to update as soon as possible ^^