My hands were currently shaking severely, and I could feel my breath rise into the air like smoke. It was the coldest day of the year, yet I was being dragged outside for some reason presently unknown to me.

Even though my best friend was trying to surprise me with something, I couldn’t ignore the cold sting beginning to bite at my fingertips. My jaw clenched angrily, and I held back any angry words that threatened to escape my mouth.

Why had she dragged me out here at 3:00am? Who knows? I was still waiting for her to allow me to open my eyes.

“Now I know you’re getting impatient, but just hold on a little longer. We’re almost there.” My best friend, Mi-rae said reassuringly as she gently pushed me down the sidewalk.

“Impatient is an understatement. It’s freezing out here, Mi-rae ! What exactly have you been planning?” I demanded.

I could hear her choke down a laugh.

“Silly. It’s your 21st birthday! I had to plan something special!”

I sighed loudly, dragging my feet in sadness.

“You don’t have to remind me that I’m getting old. I can already feel it.”

Contrary to my dreary, cold aura, Mi-rae was extremely high-spirited and happy. Whatever she had been planning, this was going to be big. I could feel it.

I thought back to less than an hour ago when she had suddenly visited my apartment unannounced, two giant bags of makeup in tow. Without a word, she had sat me down and fixed me up to somehow appear to look like a model, and she dressed me in a gorgeous, but a tad ty, white, diamond lined dress.

She had made my eyes look almost cat-like, with a beautiful smokey- eye, and long fake eyelashes placed carefully on top of my already long lashes. She shaded my face perfectly, highlighting my high cheekbones and cute nose. My hair was also done beautifully, curled and shining brightly under the light of my night stand.

Even I couldn’t deny it, I looked fabulous. Mi-rae had always promised me that she would make my 21st birthday the best I had ever had, and I was beginning to believe that she wouldn’t let me down.

“Oh! It looks like we’re here!” Mi-rae cut me out of my thoughts, and removed the blindfold from my eyes carefully, being conscious of my eye makeup that had taken her so long to perfect.

As the blindfold dropped, my eyes squinted painfully, attempting to adjust to the sudden bright lights. In less than a second, a lump formed in my throat, and it became extremely hard for me to speak.

Before me stood a giant building, with bright neon lights flashing in every direction, and loud music pulsing through the ground beneath my feet.

No.

It couldn’t be.

“You didn’t- How did you…?” I stuttered the words aimlessly, not able to grasp the situation before me.

On the other hand, Mi-rae stood confidently beside me, hands placed boldly on her hips.

“That’s right. Be stunned, be amazed! I got us two tickets into Club Athena.” The words left happily, ending with a high-pitched squeal. She clapped excitedly, jumping up and down.

“So that’s why you dressed me up like this? Oh Mi-rae! You are the greatest friend anyone could ever ask for!” I gushed, grabbing onto her hands thankfully.

This had been our dream- to one day obtain tickets into Club Athena, the most prestigious and popular club in all of Seoul, if a club could even be prestigious. I had recently been dying to get in because my readers wanted nothing more than to hear a juicy story about the rich members that were inside.

That’s right- my readers. I was a popular blogger on a website called, ‘OMGk’, standing for oh my god, Korea. It was where everyone spent their spare time reading about the most recent celebrity gossip, or more importantly, first person stories about outrageous experiences. My own blog, with more than 2 million subscribers, was dedicated to telling crazy stories, and rating places similar to Club Athena.

In person, I was a shy and quiet girl that tried her best to avoid everyone, if possible. But on OMGk, I had many readers that enjoyed my stories, and didn’t care what I looked like. This way, it was easier for me to be myself and not hold back my true feelings about things. On the internet, anyone could be anything that they wanted to be.

That’s why I had pounced on a plan to get into Club Athena recently. There had been rumors circulating through the comments on my blog about an amazing club that had a y and rich owner. Only problem was, no one could ever get a photo of him.

If I was able to, my blog would blow up in ratings. But if I was able to get not only a picture of him, but a juicy story to add on top, I would surely win #1 blog of 2014.

It was hard- if not impossible to get tickets. Only the richest of the rich were able to even afford one ticket in, let alone two.

“How did you do it?” I questioned, obviously stunned at her methods.

“I know a guy.” She said, the corners of rising into an amused smile.

“But let’s stop the small talk and GET IN THERE!” Taking my hand, she suddenly pulled me to the entrance without hesitation.

As we approached the blood-red carpet blocked by an extremely buff man dressed in black, Mi-rae whispered into my ear hastily.

“And don’t forget to talk to some guys! I want you to meet someone tonight!” My head drew away from hers in shock, and I put on a smug face. But before I could say anything, she cut me off.

“And try to act like a stupid rich girl. Let’s not try to attract unwanted attention upon ourselves.” She said subtly, and walked straight up to the bouncer with the utmost confidence. I quickly noticed that there was no line for Club Athena, which was extremely unusual considering every other club I had visited in my lifetime (which wasn’t a lot) had been swarming with many people trying to get in.

Was it because we had arrived at 3:00am and everyone had already entered? Or did people standing outside waiting to get in look unprofessional?

Whatever the case, it was strange, but that could wait. Mi-rae was currently addressing the bouncer in a very… unusual way.

“-but you know, my dad made us a reservation for her 21st birthday celebration, so I’m pretty sure we’re on that list.” Mi-rae pointed down dramatically to the list that the bouncer was holding.

“That’s great miss, but in order to check the list, I need your last name.” He replied slowly, temper obviously flaring at Mi-rae’s supposed ‘stupidity’. She sure was taking this acting to a new level.

“My last name? Oh, well… Uh… Gosh, what was it again?” Uh-oh. She was beginning to look a tad too stupid. Before we could be thrown out of the club, I swiftly stepped in front of her and made direct eye contact with the bouncer.

“Sorry, what my friend is trying to say is Yoon. Her last name is Yoon.” I smiled, motioning for him to take another look at his list.

He sighed deeply, but took another look. After scanning the first page with quick eyes, he promptly turned to the next page, still searching for Mi-rae‘s last name.

I frantically glanced at her.

“You did make a reservation, right?” I prodded under my breath. She smiled, and nodded, making an ‘it’s OK’ sign with her fingers.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got everything planned. We’re going to have a great night.” She whispered back, and turned her attention back to the bouncer.

Oh well. I guess I would have to trust that she knew what she was doing. Hopefully.

After one moment of hesitation, the bouncer seemingly located our names and subtly unhooked the rope in front of us, allowing us to enter the giant front doors.

“I’m sorry about the inconvenience. Please enjoy yourselves, and welcome to Club Athena.” He smiled seductively, and flung an arm out enthusiastically, motioning for us to enter.

I glanced over at Mi-rae, and just as I thought, she held the same facial expression as I did. She was just as surprised as I was.

We hesitantly made our way forward, not sure just what this night held in store for us.

Once we passed the bouncer and made our way through the front doors, I turned to her, mocking the weird face that the bouncer had made.

“I’m sorry about the inconvenience.” I mocked with a low, dense voice.

“Please enjoy yourselves, and welcome to Club Athena.” I plastered the weird face he had made onto my own face, and she burst out into a fit of high-pitched laughter.

“Stop that! He was super hot when he did that, and don’t deny it!” She slapped me playfully, and I rolled my eyes.

After a moment of silence between us, I gave her a confused glance.

“So…uh… where do we go now?” I said simply, admiring the giant building we were inside of that appeared to be similar to a maze.

“I guess we just follow the sound of the deep bass and loud music.” She replied, and shrugged. We both began walking towards the soft sound of music that seemed like it was being held back by something. Arriving at a large door, we realized that the club was located behind it. I could feel the music move the ground underneath me, and could see bright neon lights shining through the cracks of the doors frame.

“So? Are we going in?” Mi-rae asked hesitantly.

For some odd reason, I was getting a bad feeling about this. Sure, Mi-rae had probably spent a lot of money trying to get tickets to Club Athena. It had probably taken months to reserve a spot for the both of us, and she had obviously put a lot of thought into this gift for me.

But even though I knew this, I was still thinking of turning around and running out of this club as fast as I could. I don’t know what it was, but there was a weird vibe seeping through that door.

Almost like once I entered this place, something drastic would happen that would change the course of my future, or much worse, my life.

“Is it just me, or are you also getting a bad feeling about this place?” I questioned.

Mi-rae didn’t respond for a moment, and she seemed to be thinking to herself about something seriously. Breaking out of her daze, she gave me a hopeful look.

“Of course not! We can’t give up this great opportunity!” And before I could say anything else or back out, she shoved the doors open defiantly without hesitation.

As soon as she did, my entire body began to bounce with the beat of the music. It was so loud I could feel my eardrums threatening to burst. Mi-rae seemed just as surprised as I was, and her hands flew to her ears, being quite flabbergasted about her new surroundings.

The room was a vast, sheik room, painted with an almost sterile white color that reminded me of a doctor’s office, or surgical room. Almost a hundred people were crammed inside, dancing with only a few inches between them. A DJ stood above the crowd, one hand on his headphones, and the other on a record, moving back and forth to make the odd noises that were currently blasting through the huge speakers.

Suddenly a young woman walked up to us with a bowl of something in her hands.

“It seems that you two just got here. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you here before. First time?” It was hard to hear her over the music, but we both nodded without saying a word, afraid what might happen if we said something wrong.

“Well, have a great time. Here’s a complimentary glow stick necklace.” She handed a green necklace to Mi-rae, and a blue necklace to me.

“Go and have some fun on the dance floor. I guarantee that you’ll be noticed by some cute boys tonight, considering you guys look like models.” She winked almost exactly like the bouncer had, and disappeared from our sight almost as quickly as she had appeared.   

“Okay… that was…different.” I commented, and swiftly strung the neon light around my neck. It seemed that almost everyone in the club was wearing one, so maybe this would help Mi-rae and I fit in easier.

“Yeah, but she did say that we looked like models.” Mi-rae said cockily, throwing her hair behind her shoulder.

“That’s true, but she also works here. So she could have just said that to get us to come back. But both you and I know that this is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime thing. We probably won’t ever come here again. So, with that said, let’s get this party started!” I said happily, and turned to Mi-rae.

“So what should we do? Go buy some drinks or something?” She asked.

“No. One, you know I don’t drink ever. And two, each drink here probably costs a fortune. So why don’t we try to start dancing first?” I suggested.

Mi-rae looked a little skeptical, but finally consented with a nod of her head.

We both found ourselves hesitantly inching our way towards the dance floor, a little doubtful about all of this. I noticed that people were grinding against each other, hot and sweaty bodies interlocked in strange poses that I tried to not think too much about. This club held the worst public display of affection I had ever seen.

“I guess this is what happens when you stick a bunch of young rich kids together.” Mi-rae practically screamed into my ear, trying to be heard over the loud music.

The more we squeezed through the tight bodies trying to find a spot on the dance floor, the closer we got to the DJ stand, and as we did the music got louder and louder, to a point that we couldn’t even hear each other speak.

Mi-rae looked slightly annoyed, but refused to say anything mean because she knew that I wanted to have a fun night.

Suddenly I heard the DJ switch the song to something that had great bass.

I couldn’t help it. My body began to sway to the music, my hips moving back and forth involuntarily.

…

Some time passed, during which Mi-rae and I had danced to our hearts content. We both thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company, after all.

Now we were sitting at the bar, taking a short ‘break.’ That’s what Mi-rae called it, when in reality she was just hoping for someone to hit on her.

“I saw you moving out there.” I felt a tap on my shoulder, and turned around to find an average looking young man standing beside me.

“You’re quite the dancer. You should come back here sometime.” He said, and handed me a card, walking away afterwards. I assumed that he wanted me to come back for business.

Club Athena

Dancers needed

The words were printed on the card elegantly. No address, no phone number. This club’s manager had to be full of himself to assume that everyone already knew where his club was, without the help of an address.

“Well that was short, and to the point.” Mi-rae said in disgust, obviously irritated that he hadn’t asked me to dance.

Feeling a soft tap on my shoulder again, I turned around to find a waiter standing behind me.

Ugh, what was it this time?

"Miss, the young man says that he will accept your drink gratefully, and asked me to give you this." He silently took a small glass of wine down from a tray and set it in front of me. With a curt bow, he left without another word. I was extremely confused, until Mi-rae spoke up.

"Looks like he got the drink I sent." She said without looking up from her food.

"What drink?" I asked accusingly, narrowing my eyes.

"I sent a drink to that guy, with a note saying that it was from you." She said simply.

"You WHAT? Why would you do such a thing?" I asked frantically, looking over to the man she had pointed to. I found that my heart skipped a beat once I laid my eyes on him. He was wearing an all-black suit, with his blonde hair styled back in perfection. Never once had I seen anyone as stunning as he was. His jawline was like a knife, and he had perfect cheekbones to match his dark brown eyes that stared at me intently. My face grew a bright shade of burgundy as he swiftly rose his head, finding and keeping me in his sights. I could only pray that he wouldn't be able to see my flush face in the darkly lit room. Before he could do anything, I turned to Mi-rae in a panic.

"Why did you do that? He's looking over here!" I wailed, my voice suddenly growing hoarse.

"Why did I do it? Because he's HOT! He's the best looking guy here!" She exclaimed, and watched him glance at us over my shoulder.

"That's great and all, but it's not a good enough answer for me. You KNOW I don't like talking to guys! Especially guys that aren't in my league!" I could see her scoff, even in this darkness.

"Puh-lease. You could do way better than him, even! You just don't try hard enough. Instead of sitting in front of that computer screen all day, you should be meeting people! This is the first step in the right direction." She nodded, seeming to convince herself that she had done the right thing. I on the other hand, did not feel the same.

"I don't try hard enough? What does that even mean? Unlike others, I don't specialize in being clingy, annoying, OR a ." I rolled my eyes, trying my best to pretend that I was in an active conversation so that the guy didn't get any ideas about coming over and starting small talk. Casting a quick glance in his direction, I found that his eyes were still glued on mine, and he stood up in a quick motion.

"Oh no. Mi-rae, I think he's coming over here!" I screeched in despair.

"Good, I'm glad that my plan worked." She said happily, putting on that annoyingly smug grin that she wore on her face so well. I ran a hand through my hair anxiously, wishing that he would suddenly turn around and go back to his seat. Unfortunately, that didn't happen, and before I knew it he was standing right beside me. I shut my eyes, closing them tightly, an exuberated sigh leaving my lips.

He was just standing there, with nothing but a normal look on his face. He wasn't smiling, but he wasn't frowning either. I was extremely confused, when to my surprise he grabbed my hand in one fluid motion, and began dragging me through the crowd of sweaty bodies and grinding couples. I was so shocked that I couldn't get a word to leave my lips, and looking back, Mi-rae's mouth was hanging open, and it seemed that she couldn't speak either. Nothing like this had ever happened to me, and we both knew it. I was an average girl, with quite average looks. My life did not run around boys whatsoever, because success was way more important to me. That's why this was such of a shock for me, because I had never been dragged through a club, or even acknowledged by a boy before. Suddenly he broke through my thoughts by releasing my hand. I hadn't noticed where he had taken me because I had been so absorbed in my thoughts, but now that I looked around, I saw that we were no longer in the noisy room that we had been in before.

W-where are we?" I stuttered out stupidly.

"My office." He responded vaguely, and I almost jumped at the sound of his deep, musky, and masculine voice. So he worked here? That was different. I hadn't ever know anyone that worked at a club before.

"So, you're interested in me?" He said, letting out an exhausted sigh that said he got this often, and was tired of it. I was honestly baffled by the comment, not to mention at how he was treating me. What- was he too cool for school, or better yet- me? Psh.

"Actually, my friend Mi-rae sent you-" I began with a newly found confidence that I hadn't had before. But he cut me off, setting a smug grin on his face.

"Ha. Don't think of excuses, Miss. Fortunately for you, you seem to appeal to me, in some sort of way." He waved his hand nonchalantly, motioning to my oh-so-average body type. My mouth simply dropped open, and it took me a few seconds to even find words.

"So you're telling me that I'm lucky, because I'm somewhat of your type?" I asked, baffled. On the other hand, he didn't hear the sarcasm in my voice, and instead just nodded his head. I scoffed to myself, thinking about turning around and marching back home ASAP. But instead, I thought that it would be fun to play this out and tell my readers about it later. They always enjoyed a good story like this. Setting my hands on my hips, I smiled, trying my best to look cute, and act rich and somewhat snobby. If I played this out right, a juicy story could be the result.

"How interesting. I'm glad that I meet your standards." I said, trying my hardest not to let sarcasm drip from every word that left my lips. To my surprise, he simply smiled in return, and looked down into my eyes. Now that he was closer, I realized that he was actually much taller than me. I was around 5'4'', so he had to be at least 6'.

"So, should we get right down to it?" And with that said, he practically shoved me against the wall behind me, and his hands flung to the bottom of my dress as he began to attempt to peel it off of me. A scream escaped my lips involuntarily, and I sent a punch directly into his gut. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" I yelled at the sudden advance, pulling my dress back down around my legs. He had nearly gotten a look at my underwear. He seemed to be completely unfazed by the punch, but surprised that I didn't want what he had to offer.

"You obviously didn't understand my intentions. I'm not here to ‘get it on’ with you. Oh my gosh…" I mumbled, crossing my arms in a lame attempt to be cool about all of this. When he didn't respond, I my heel, grabbing ahold of the door knob. But before I could open it, I felt his hand take a strong grip on my arm.

"Wait. Don't leave." His voice seemed small, but I could also sense a hint of anger. Was it because I had rejected him?

"Please. Honestly, never once in my 21 years on this earth have I ever encountered anyone like you. I just sent you a drink! Which wasn't even me by the way. Did you take that as me saying that I wanted to be or something? We don't even know each other's names! Do you think that because you’re so easy on the eyes that you can just get anyone or anything you want? Well too bad for you, I'm not easy. Now let go of me, and don't follow me." I said angrily, and jerked my arm from his grasp. I threw the door open, and marched back into the loud room where I saw Mi-rae still sitting at the bar, seemingly waiting for me. I practically ran to her, grabbing her arm and jerking her out of her chair.

"We need to leave, now." I yelled over the loud music. She could see the despair in my eyes, and she began to move when suddenly our path was blocked by my assailant.

"For starters, my name is Kim Jongin." He said simply. Man, this guy couldn't take a hint. He let out his hand, but I slapped it away without a second thought.

"Why are you still trying with me? Just go find a that's willing to meet your horrendous standards." I spat out, quite baffled as to why he was still hanging around me. I heard a laugh escape his lips.

"Please, don't flatter yourself. I'm not here to apologize, or pursue you any further. I'm here to punish you for rejecting me." And in one fluid motion, He grabbed the wine that he had sent to me earlier, and dumped it right over my head. I quickly looked down, trying to prevent it from going into my eyes. I watched as it dripped down my white dress that Mi-rae had given me earlier. The red color looked like blood in contrast to the white fabric.

Breaking out of my trance, I looked over to the bar, and grabbed what seemed to be a blue drink that was being held in a clear pitcher.

"You know what will go great with that disgusting attitude of yours? This." I grabbed the pitcher and chucked it right at him. The blue drink encased him almost completely, and flattened out his styled hair. He slowly wiped his eyes, and his lips. "How dare you throw yourself at me so easily, then cry when you receive what you were looking for in the beginning? This is obviously some poor attempt to put me out of business!" He roared.

By now, the music had quieted, and everyone around us was watching the scene before them with startled expressions. My eyes slowly lifted up, very hesitantly. I was honestly quite ashamed. Not because of dousing my victim in some foreign liquid, but because he had so easily insulted me in front of so many rich and prestigious people. Making a bad name for myself in a place like this was a very bad mistake.

But no- this was not my fault. How dare he blame me for something I did not do? In no way was attempted acceptable. I planned to press charges as soon as I could.

Pulling on a straight face to hide my despair, I subtly wiped the drink that the man had poured onto me in response to my harsh comment.

"Who made you king of anything? How dare you insult me, and expect me to do nothing in response! Is that how you treat women usually, or am I getting the special treatment?" I growled angrily, feeling the bile rise slowly in my throat. I could feel a weak hand suddenly grip my arm, and turned to find Mi-rae grabbing onto me quietly. Her eyes were wide with worry, and she shook her head, trying to send me a silent message. Unfortunately, I couldn't decipher her message at the moment, and in the end, my rage overpowered my rationalization. I ripped my arm from her hold, angry that she had even put me in this situation in the first place.

Quickly turning back to the cocky and quite annoying man, my jaw slowly clenched. But before I could spit out anymore insults, he spoke up with a smug grin on his face.

"That’s right. I am the king here. Actually, I own this place. I'm the manager of Club Athena." And with those words said, a unanimous gasp shattered through the silence of the crowd that had gathered around us. It seemed that not only I, but everyone in Club Athena was just as shocked as I was about the sudden revealment.

"Honestly, I'm not sure how trash like you was ever let into this establishment. But I do know that I won't ever let it happen again. And with that said, get out. NOW." He roared, pointing to the doors.

I let out a fake laugh, choking down my embarrassment.

"Ha. Please, you don't need to kick us out. We were just leaving. It isn't my style to hang around places like this. And who knew? I thought that this would be a great club, owned by someone with more maturity than you." Gathering as much confidence as I could muster, I lifted my chin up and swiftly my heel, walking out the doors as quickly as I could. I could only hope that Mi-rae was following behind me. I could hear a voice ring out behind me.

"Oh, and don't ever think of coming back here again." I could almost hear the smile in his sing-song voice. He was definitely happy that this had happened. I didn't know why, but I could feel it.

Kim Jongin, this is war.

………

I left the club angrily, letting the doors slam behind me as I walked into the crisp but cold night air. I could not even describe, or even begin to explain the rage and hate I was currently feeling towards that awful man named Kim Jongin. How dare he make a fool out of me? I was almost shivering in anticipation to let my readers in on my little secret that I knew who Club Athena's manager was.

Maybe it had been a good thing that I had run into this evil, but apparently very important man. If I hadn't fought with him, he never would have revealed himself as Kim Jongin, the manager and CEO of Club Athena and all sister clubs to it.  

“Ji-eun, are you OK? What happened back there? You look flustered. And why in the world did you pick a fight with the manager of Club Athena? What’s going on?” Mi-rae questioned, putting a stabling hand on my shoulder. Sure, I had just received the story of a lifetime for my readers, but that didn’t change the fact that Kim Jongin had almost assaulted me.

Exactly what kind of man was he?

……

After explaining what had happened to a very angry Mi-rae, she had rushed me home, speaking kind and reassuring words. She was my best friend after all, and if you messed with me, you pretty much messed with her as well.

When we reached the front door to my apartment, she had insisted that I immediately go to bed, and get plenty of rest. I lied, saying that I would, but as soon as I walked into my room I rushed to my laptop, and began writing.

Hello everyone. I'm quite excited and pleased to inform you that instead of the common gossip that I usually post and blog about, tonight will be an exceptional surprise. For my dear, dedicated readers, I have finally brought to you the story of a lifetime. The most anticipated question on this forum has now been answered.  

I have just discovered who the CEO of club Athena is.  

Now now, calm down. This is nothing to be THAT excited about. Quite the contrary, actually. I have just discovered firsthand how the CEO of CA (Club Athena) Kim Jongin, is actually a conniving, cocky, and rude spoiled brat.

I then proceeded to explain to my readers how Kim Jongin had publically embarrassed me, and had almost assaulted me, all because I had turned him down with the wave of my hand, being completely uniformed beforehand as to who he was. Even so, if I had known who he was, my response still would have been the same.  

I mean, who in their right mind wants to do it with a complete stranger? No one! At least, no one I know. It’s just weird. If he’s a professional business man that owns his own nightclub, why in the world does he act so immature? It’s not even like we exchanged names first, he just got right down to it!

With not even the slightest hesitation, I quickly hit the 'save draft' button, and leaned back into my chair happily. In the morning I would post it, considering all of my readers were most likely in bed right now. Finally, this man would get what he deserved. Who knows how many girls he had done this to before? I’m sure that I wasn’t the only innocent that he had ‘seduced’, as he called it. There had to be other girls out there. Maybe, if I got girls to say or report what he had done to them, my article would become an even bigger hit! I had over a million readers in Korea alone, and they would not be happy to hear how this horrendous man had treated a lady in such a fashion.

Without thinking, my thoughts drifted back to his facial expression when I had turned him down. The look of confusion that had suddenly turned into hatred still surprised me, even though it had already happened.  

Setting it aside for now, I subtly closed my laptop, and stripped out of the tight dress that was now covered in red wine. I would have to dry clean it and return it to Mi-rae soon, because I didn’t want it in my sights. It only reminded me of how awful my 21st birthday had actually been.

……

The morning had gone by quickly, with only fleeting memories of the previous night. A new day, a new me.

Or so I thought.

As I hastily threw on a nice and formal outfit, I began to prepare for the day ahead.

It had been extremely difficult to sleep the night before. Firstly, because I could not get that wretched man’s face out of my head, and second, because I was very anxious about today. Since I had finally turned 21, I could finally go in for an interview at my dream job. I wanted to become a reporter at a news company (even though everyone knew it was simply made for gossip) called Hot News Korea.

“Aish, I can’t be late today! I’ve been waiting too long for this.” I muttered, and quickly slipped into a pair of heels. I had chosen a nice pencil skirt, and blouse to match as well. It might be too form fitting for an interview, but I thought it would do me well to show off my average figure just this once.

Glancing at the clock, I realized that I would indeed be late if I didn’t leave right away.

Prying open the door, I practically tripped over a box that had been sitting at the doorstep.

“What the heck? What’s this? I don’t remember ordering anything.”

A medium sized box sat patiently at my feet, and I hesitantly picked it up.

“A birthday gift from Mi-rae maybe? Ha. You can’t make up for last night no matter what, unni.” I pouted, setting the box inside for now. It would have to wait until later.

Right now, I was late.

……

“NEXT!” The receptionist screamed, and it shattered my nerves, just as it had done the twelve times before. I hadn’t been the only one to come today for an interview. Fifteen others sat in chairs next to mine, all waiting to be called in by the receptionist.

I could barely stand it. I was about to die of nervousness, and I was next.

“NEXT!”

Oh no.

With small steps, I hesitantly made my way into the tiny room. It suddenly felt like I was suffocating. The walls closed in on my, and my vision began to blur.

No, not because the room was small, or because my nerves were acting up.

But because my worst enemy, Kim Jongin, sat right across from me.

So this idiot not only owns a chain of popular clubs, but also one of the most successful businesses in Korea? Just my luck.

He had the most annoying look plastered on his face. He had obviously been expecting me, and was relishing the look of disbelief that I currently had plastered on my face.

“Lee Ji-eun, is it? It’s so nice to meet you. Please, have a seat.” He motioned to the seat placed directly in front of him. It took every part of me to keep a fake smile on. I was fighting the urge to cringe.

Instead I sat down suavely, trying my best to keep my cool. It was only then that I noticed the other employees sitting on either side of Kim Jongin, most likely other managers here to judge the answers I had to their questions.

Strangely, they all seemed to be extremely handsome. Must be something in the water here.

I didn’t bother looking at their nametags. The only person I could focus on was Kim Jong-stupid.

“So, w-why don’t you tell me what makes you different from the men and women that have already sat exactly where you are right n-now?” He spoke, and the sudden stutter made me realize that I wasn’t the only one shaking in my boots right now. I seemed to also have some sort of effect on him. But why?

“Well, what I can tell you is that I can speak clearly.” I said smoothly, and received choked laughter from the handsome men seated next to him. Jongin shot them angry looks, and took a deep breath, regaining his composure.

Why was he so nervous?

And then I knew- He was afraid that I would press charges. But more importantly, he was more afraid that I would post the article about him on OMGk that I had written last night. Seeing that he was such a successful person, he probably had given me a background check the night before, to see if I could be shut up with money. And then he had somehow stumbled across the information that I ran one of the most popular blogs in Korea. Oops.

I smirked slyly, knowing now that I was one step ahead of him. The ball was no longer on his court.

Unfortunately, this also brought up the fact that I was keeping my identity a secret from my readers. It was almost like a game. Was I rich, famous, or just a middle class wannabe? No one knew.

I was sure that if Jongin found out I was keeping my identity a secret, he would surely blackmail me because of it. I would just have to make sure that didn’t happen.

“Lee Ji-eun?” One of the men's voices broke me out of my thoughts.

“Oh, yes?” I responded, giving him my full attention.

“My name is Do Kyungsoo. I am the head of Hot News Korea’s technical and news branch. I am aware that you are interested in becoming a reporter for us. Can you tell me why I should hire you?” He asked, folding his hands and leaning forward in his chair. He was surely the most attractive man here, no doubt. Sure, Kim Jongin had his own good features, but none compared to Kyungsoo’s. Besides, the fact that he had almost assaulted me gave him -100,000,000 points on my chart. So at the moment, pretty much anyone was better than him.

I debated the question for a moment. I was sure that if I told him that I ran OMGk, he would hire me in an instant. But at the time, I couldn’t risk it. One of the reasons I had so many followers was because they enjoyed the mystery of it all. Not being able to identify exactly who is speaking in my blog posts gives off a feeling of… How should I put it- anticipation?

I wasn’t sure, but for some reason I felt that if my identity was made known to my readers, they wouldn’t be interested anymore.

Some might say that I’m acting achieved, but I’m just trying to be careful, is all.

“Well, as you might have seen from my resume, I have acquired and held down multiple internships and jobs that have all been in the reporting/gossip industry. This has given me a great deal of experience in the field, and I feel that I can take on any task given to me, as well as apply my talents accordingly.” I said, deciding to keep my identity a secret… for now.

Kyungsoo nodded slowly, seeming to be quite unsatisfied with my answer. Almost like he was expecting something… more.

Could it be possible that Jongin had told them that I was really the creator of OMGk?

There was a slight chance that he had been testing me, as well. If Jongin had told them that I was the writer of OMGk, they would make sure to ask me that question, in order to see if I wanted to keep my identity a secret or not.

If I answered the right way, and told him that I was in fact the writer of OMGk, they would have most likely assumed that I didn’t mind people knowing that fact. But since I did not reveal my identity, they now knew that I didn’t want the information released, and they might blackmail me because of it.

I now knew what I was dealing with. These men were all extremely calculative and smart. It would be a challenge to outsmart any of them.

I could see a sly smirk appear on Jongin’s face. He seem quite satisfied.

Shoot.

“Although….” I began, and Kyungsoo turned his attention back towards me. “There is something else.” I smiled, enjoying the look of despair that was slowly making its way onto Jongin’s face.

“This might come as a surprise to you, but I am also the creator and publisher of the popular website, OMGk. You might have heard of it?” I folded my hands together, waiting for their reactions. Kyungsoo didn’t seem surprised in the least.

Bingo! I had hit it right on the mark. It seemed that Jongin had told them earlier that I was the creator of OMGk. Well, at least now they would be under the impression that I didn’t mind people knowing my identity.

The only question that still remained was how Jongin had found my name? Sure, he had connections, but he didn’t have much to go off of. Maybe he saw my resume for todays interview, and the picture of me looked the same? That had to be it.

As I waited for Kyungsoo’s reply, I saw Jongin’s face twist with anger. It seemed that he couldn’t hide behind his suave mask any longer. He suddenly stood up out of his chair, pointing a finger at me accusingly.

“Let’s stop playing these games. You tell me right now if you are going to press charges or not. Or, if you’re going to post anything about me on that website of yours?” He growled, face turning two shades brighter.

Kyungsoo grabbed his shoulder harshly, pulling him back down. “Will you stop this?” He whispered, and for some reason I got the impression that this wasn’t the first time he had pulled a stunt like this.

My hand rested over my heart innocently, as if to say ‘who, little old me?’

“And why would I ever blackmail someone as prestigious as yourself? Surely you wouldn’t ever get into a bad situation like that in the first place? Seeing that you’re a renowned CEO of this large company, you should know to mind your manners and never get into trouble. So what do you have to be afraid of? Could it be that you almost accidentally assaulted a young woman last night at one of your own nightclubs?” I smiled, which sent him into a flying fit of rage.

The men surrounding him seemed quite impressed with me, but also worried. Most likely because their CEO was looking to be in some trouble.

“Hmm.. Maybe I should quote some words I heard last night? ‘I’m not sure how trash like you ever got into this club in the first place?’” I scoffed. Remembering his words, even now, angered me.

Suddenly a deep sigh escaped his lips, and he sat down calmly. “Ok. You’ve made your point. Now what do you want?” He leaned forward.

I was stunned to silence. “Are you- serious?” I chided, looking at all of them. “You almost assaulted me, and you want to simply pay me off? Ha!” I crossed my arms stiffly.

The men looked to one another for assistance, but none was provided. At this, I took my chance to speak. “How about you start by giving me a job.” I countered. Maybe I could squeeze my way into this business, and find even more gossip about Jongin. Then my story would become even bigger!

“We aren’t idiots. We know what you’re planning.” Another man sighed. I read his name tag.

Byun Baekhyun

“You want an inside job to find out more about our beloved CEO.” He added, words dripping with sarcasm.

“I’m afraid we’ll have to get back to you. If you ask me, this interview has lasted way too long.” He stood up, grabbing some papers in front of him.

“I cannot guarantee you an inside job, but I will call you tomorrow. Until then, please refrain from posting anything scandalous about Kim Jongin.” He nodded, and walked out of the room without another word.  

I almost choked on my own tongue. So this man simply assumed that I wouldn’t post anything about that three-year-old just for a possible chance at a half-way-decent job?

Well, he was right.

Hey, what could I say? Times are tough, even if you do run a renowned blog.

Each man stood up silently, and with a curt nod, followed Baekhyun out of the room. Honestly, without him, I would have gotten my way.

The last person to leave was Jongin. He looked out the door to make sure that no one was listening, and then turned to me subtly. “This isn’t over.” He hissed, and stuck his tongue out sassily.

He really WAS a three-year-old!

….

On my way out of the huge building, I had received more nasty looks than I could count. This was probably because I had single-handedly ended the interview, therefore demolishing anyone else’s chance of getting the position. Oops.  

I found it especially difficult to keep my head held high. Honestly, I was just very confused. Exactly what had just happened in there?

After a short taxi drive back to my apartment, I phoned Mi-rae to tell her how my interview had gone. When I told her how Kim Jongin owned the place, she flew into a fit of rage, cursing the day he had ever been born.

Then I told her how they were somewhat blackmailing me, and how I was also kind of blackmailing them. She found this very confusing, and informed me that she would call me back later due to the fact that her mother had stopped by.

I tiredly pushed my door open, accidentally slamming it into the cardboard box that had been left at my doorstep earlier this morning.

Now that I remembered, while speaking to Mi-rae on the phone, she hadn’t mentioned anything about a gift. So who had sent it?

Slowly shutting my door behind me, I bent down and grabbed the box, shaking it slightly to see if I could tell what was inside.

“Hm. Who could have sent this?” I pondered, peeling away the tape that was sealing it shut. I cautiously opened the flap, revealing a small note card.

That was it? Just a note card? Why did it come in such a large box?

I flipped the card over, and on the back there was a set of words scrawled in black ink.

I know where you live.

Um. What?

“Oh. My. GOSH. Is this from the three year old?” I choked. Without a second thought, I tore the card into a trillion pieces and tossed them into the nearest waste basket.

What had I gotten myself into?