Seo Joo Hyun

That’s it! I think I’ve finally gone crazy! Did I just really agree to be his wife for a TV show?! Aishhh! Seo Joo Hyun! What did you get yourself into???!!! You haven’t seen your family for almost 2 years so now you MADE your own?! I’m so dead.

The reporters finally left when they couldn’t get any more information from me and about me, aside from the ones I was willing to share and the ones Yong Oppa knows would be public information and could easily be acquired. Yong Oppa insisted for the reporters to leave me and Cherisse alone, telling them that I’m a private citizen and not a celebrity while the little girl, being underage, has been through a lot, including losing her own life. That part, the reporters seemed to understand and respect as majority of them probably has kids of their own.

We were still in one of the conference rooms in the hotel lobby, waiting for Yong Oppa and his Manager to finish their meeting with the WGM staff. I wasn’t included yet because of 2 things: one, I haven’t signed a contract with the TV show’s company and only said that I agreed to do it based on the answer I gave one of the reporters earlier; and two, because it will conflict with my current work and will have to talk with my parent company, Domus Contractors first, and from the looks of the Ice King, I’d have to talk to him, too. I groaned inwardly.

I knew the Ice King was trying to stop himself from talking to me (More like shouting at me, really!), since I was carrying Cherisse on my shoulder, who fell asleep in the middle of the press conference. He probably didn’t want to wake the little girl up, but from the looks of him, he’s about to explode. Jung Shin kept peering at him and then would give me meaningful looks, to which I would nod that I understood.

After half an hour of waiting, Yong Oppa and his Manager finally got up from their seats, walked towards us, and gathered our things, while the WGM staff bowed from across the room, still apparently unfinished with their meeting. They filled us in once we got to the elevator as they were careful of some reporters that might still be lurking in the lobby.

“Seohyun-ssi, are you sure about this?”, was the first thing that Yong Oppa’s Manager said to me.

“Actually, Sir, no.. But I couldn’t just stand there and let Ha Ra-ssi accuse Yong Oppa of things he did not do or say..”, I told him honestly.

“I thought so.. You really are kind, Seohyun-ssi.. And please don’t call me ‘Sir’.. Just be comfortable with me..”, Manager Oppa said, looking at me with soft eyes.

“Thank you, Manager Oppa..”, I smiled at him, while Jung Shin kept glancing at the Ice King beside him, who was deep in thought.

“But I’m warning you now.. Ha Ra-ssi will not go down easily.. She’s, for a lack of a better word, a b*tch—”

“Hyung! Watch what you say! You have a kid present!”, interjected Yong Oppa, frowning at his Manager.

“But she’s asleep!”, Yong Oppa’s Manager argued, but relented when he saw the look on Yong Oppa’s face. “Arasseo, arasseo.. I’m sorry I said that, but she is one! That’s why I didn’t want her to be your virtual wife! Remember that stunt she pulled 4 years ago that prevented you from attending your cousin’s wedding overseas?! Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! And then when I saw her in the hotel lobby last night, I almost had a heart attack!”, Yong Oppa’s Manager continued, looking scared and worried at the same time.

“Then why did you scold me when I ran out of there to go back to Hyun and Cherisse..?”, Yong Oppa asked, exasperated at his Manager.

“Aishhh! That was just for show! The WGM staff and her Manager was there! You’re not the only actor here, you know! Cham! But then, Seohyun-ssi stood up to her and demanded that Ha  Ra-ssi apologize to you! That was daebak!”, Manager Oppa exclaimed, giving me 2 thumbs-up, which made me laugh.

“So please be careful from now on as I know she’s going to take her revenge on you two.. And she might even go as low as involving this little angel here..”, he added, his eyes full of concern and worry for Cherisse.

“Let me see her try.”, said Yong Oppa, putting a protective hand on Cherisse’s back.

“I can take her.”, I said and I meant it. Everyone went quiet as they looked at me, sensing the dangerous tone of my voice when I said those last 4 words.

I am not a violent person, far from it! Heck, I learned different languages because I love communicating with people of different cultures and backgrounds. But when push comes to shove, especially if it involves any one of my family, I will fight back. Growing up in a country where people see you as an outsider because of the color of your skin or the shape of your eyes or even the way you talk, even though you were born there, will teach you how to protect and defend yourself. I don’t even get mad easily, but when I do, you better hit the deck.

And I didn’t grow up with 4 other siblings, one of which is my TWIN, for nothing!

“Anyway, you still have time to think as the WGM staff isn’t sure that a non-celebrity foreigner WITH a lost French-national baby would be accepted by the viewers.. Although, they admitted that your story is something unusual and very interesting and that you three look good together on camera.. By the way, did you coordinate your clothes today?”, asked Manager Oppa to lighten the mood as he looked back and forth between me and Yong Oppa, which made Jung Shin and the Ice King look at us.

“No..”, said Yong Oppa and I together, shaking our heads as we looked at each other's clothes.

“I swear you guys are starting to look alike every day that you’re together..”, observed Jung Shin, which made our ears turn red, Manager Oppa chuckle, and the Ice King cough.

 Sometimes Jung Shin-ie loves the taste of his foot! Cham!

I glared at him to shut him up and he got the message. At the 10th floor, Manager Oppa stepped off the elevator, telling us that he still needs to talk to some more people and rearrange Yong Oppa’s schedules. When we reached the 12th floor, I didn’t expect the Ice King to get off too, because he and Jung Shin were on the 14th floor. Jung Shin and Yong Oppa looked at me and I shrugged my shoulders, so we just followed suit. Half way to our rooms, the Ice King turned to Yong Oppa and asked for the key card saying that he’ll open the door since Yong Oppa was carrying my bag, the baby bag, and his guitar. Thinking nothing of it and actually thanking him, Yong Oppa handed him the key card.

When the Ice King opened the door, he let me in first, and then he followed me. As soon as he got in, he slammed the door shut and went to the adjoining door and locked it.

“What are you doing, Oppa? What’s going on? Why did you lock the doors?!”, I asked, trying not to wake Cherisse up. I was puzzled as to what he was doing, when he suddenly turned to me, eyes blazing. I was taken aback.

“Seo Joo Hyun, this has gone far enough. I let you do this nonsense because I trust you, but I don’t trust any bit of that so-called movie star! I have NEVER even HEARD of him! And then you go and let him call you ‘HYUN’? What was that about?!!! Plus now, you’re going to be HIS WIFE???? ARE YOU CRAZY????!!!!”, he said to me from a low voice to almost shouting while advancing forward, pinning me between him and the wall, but I was careful not to let Cherisse’s head hit the wall.

“Yah! Cho Kyu Hyun Hyung! Seo Joo Hyun! What’s going on?! Open the door!”, I heard Jung Shin, knocking on the door.

“Open this door! What are you guys doing?!!! OPEN THIS DOOR, NOW!”, Yong Oppa shouted from the outside, banging the door.

“What?! LET me?! You LET me?! Last time I checked, I was still in-charge of myself and who I choose to be with! And what do you care if he calls me Hyun! It’s still my name, isn’t it?! Plus when was the last time you watched a movie?! I doubt if you even heard of Avatar! Also, IF and WHEN, I choose to be his virtual wife, you have NO SAY about it!!!”, I told him off, trying to fight the panic and the anger boiling through me.

“Oh, yes I do! I am still your boss! And I FORBID you to be HIS WIFE!!!”, the Ice King countered back.

Bam! Bam! Bam! “Open the door!!!” Bam! Bam! Bam!

I couldn’t believe what was happening, what I was hearing, and who I was hearing it from as I felt Cherisse get up from my shoulder.

“You FORBID me?!!!”, I exclaimed incredulously, shocked at what I just heard. I couldn’t stop myself, even if Cherisse was looking at me, confused.

Bam! Bam! Bam! “What’s going on??? Open this door!!!”

“YES! AS YOUR BOSS, I FORBID YOU!”, the Ice King shouted at me. At this Cherisse, jumped, surprised at the Ice King’s shouting.

“Then I QUIT!!!”, I shouted back. Cherisse started to fuss so I hugged her and tried to go past the Ice King, but he held me back.

Bam! Bam! Bam! “Open the door!!! OPEN THE DOOR!!!” Bam! Bam! Bam!

“Let GO of me! I had enough of this! Let go!”, I demanded, but the Ice King’s hands were firmly holding me in place. I couldn’t fight back because I was afraid I’d drop Cherisse or hurt her in the process.

Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! “OPEN THE DOOR!!!”, this time I heard the knocking and the shout from the adjoining room door.

“I am not done talking to you! We are not done yet!”, he snarled at me, looking like he’s lost his mind.

“Yes, we are! I don’t want to see you!!! I don’t want to talk to you!!! I don’t want to do anything with you ever again!!!”, I hissed at him, still trying to get away.

Suddenly I heard Cherisse whisper the word “Daddy..”, and I knew she was starting to look for Yong Oppa, so I needed to get out of the room before Cherisse started crying. I was afraid something in her would snap. The Doctor warned us not to stress her so much.

Bam! Bam! Bam! “Open the door!!!” Bam! Bam! Bam! “Open the damn door or I will break it!!!”

“You’re hurting me! And you’re scaring Cherisse!!! LET GO OF ME!!!!”, I shouted, determined to shake my arm loose, but the Ice