Chapter 35:

Jihye’s P.O.V

I am walking in the streets of Paris, so freely because nobody knows me in here as Jiyong’s rumored girlfriend. Nobody will look at me like I did something wrong or my ensemble is flashy because they all wear trendy clothes in here and I guess I am a little outdated in my outfit. Anyway, it is time for my first appointment and it is nerve wrecking to meet the person because he is nosy as hell.

“Why are we meeting in such populous place?” I ask him while I take my sit, opposite him.

“Bonjour mi love,” he says calmly and smiling at me. “In here, we can talk civilly and you can’t decline what I have to offer,” he responds to my question earlier.

I look at him doubtfully but sigh. “Monsieur Karl Lagerfeld, if it’s about walking in the runway for the fashion week, my answer is a no, a big no.”

“Mi love Anna,”

I scowl at him. “It’s Jihye,” I correct him. “We have talk about this already, Karl. Anna left the modeling world in the Chanel S/S 2011,” I remind him not really fond of being called by my English name.

“Fine, but I will not accept a ‘no’ for my fashion week schedule. If you are not going to walk on the runway, you better be in the front row.” He insists as the food he pre-ordered for me and him arrived and placed in front of us, respectively.

“I don’t know about that. I really have a tight schedule back home and I don’t know if I can even come back to Paris after this visi,” I utter hesitantly while I put a serving of soup in my spoon.

“Jihye, you have been avoiding all the fashion week designers when you quit in your modeling career. You never go to any fashion week all over the world like always,” he reasons out, looking at me strongly to make his point taken.

“Fine, I will try to accommodate you into my schedule. Send me the details and I will put you on schedule, will that be alright?” I have finally given up on arguing with him. This is why I don’t like meeting him on any occasions I am here in Paris. He will always win even if I give him the very valid reason to not go on any party or fashion show, he tells me.

“Good to hear,” he responds gleefully as he won another set of argument to me. “Oh! I nearly forgot. Cara says that she wants to meet you badly but can’t reach your phone. By any chance, you didn’t tell her that you are in Korea?”

I instantly gulp the hot soup not even savoring the flavor. “Cara Delevigne?” I repeat. He nods his head, taking another spoonful of his soup. “Is there any chance that I will not get pummeled by her when I call her about it?” He shakes his head.

I cover my face with my hand as I think what she will do when she sees or hear from me. She will overkill me for being neglectful to inform her about my whereabouts. That girl will the life out of me even if I am far away from her.

“Is there any chance she is not here in Paris?”

“She’s not here and you are lucky, she’s in LA for a photo shoot but I don’t doubt a bit that she will speak non-stop of her litanies for being such a prick friend.” He says amusedly.

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I kiss both of his cheeks then pose at the cameras waiting outside the restaurant. One reason why I hate crowds when I’m meeting him is this one. There is a high chance that there will be photographers outside waiting to snap a photograph of him and his associate. I am thankful enough that I’m wearing a chic Chanel dress for this dinner date.

“See you in fashion week,” he mumbles to me as he rides in his waiting car.

I nod my head. “Don’t forget to send me the invitation,” I remind him or else I will really not come in his fashion show if there’s no invitation in my hands.

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As I walk to my next appointment, people recognize me and I have to stop to take some photo with them. I am bit perturbed by being recognized because it’s been two years since I have walk on any runway and I’m not used to it already. But walking in Paris is like my relaxation time because I can’t do this in Korea right now with all the controversies I’m in.

“Yeoboseyo,” I say as I answer my ringing phone.

“Yeobo—what?” the person in the other line inquires in surprise.

As I recognize the voice, I laugh softly at my own mistake. Aisht! I am so used to answering the phone in Korean that I forgot that I’m not there for the meantime. “Cara amour?” I inquire.

“You piece of sh*t! Why didn’t you tell me that you have changed your phone number and you’re not living in Japan anymore?” She replies with no mercy at all and it is just the start. As I listen to every fu***ng word she said and all the complaints that she can muster to tell me.

“Ara---,” I stop as I am about to say arasso but luckily my mind is working again. “Okay fine,” I respond when she take her breath. “I apologize for forgetting to tell you my new number and that I am not living in Japan anymore, will that suffice?”

Cara sighs. “Yes, that is fine. Anyway, Karl Lagerfeld gave me your number, you ,” she never forgets to add a cuss to me, “and he said that you are in Paris right now, is that true? Are you going to walk in the runway again?” Now, she asks so many questions that I can’t even interject any response to everything.

“Stop!” I exclaim and the people walking around to stare at me in shock. I apologize to them and then start walking briskly away from the prying eyes. “You buffoon!” I shriek at her. “One question at a time,” I scold her. “Anyway, I am in Paris and no, I’m not going to walk on any runway. After all, I am a retired model already.”

“Retired, my ,” she rebukes. “You are just declining any runway show but you are still accepting some magazine shoot. So, what are you going to do there?”

“A magazine shoot like you said but anyway, why are you calling?” I change the subject.

“I’m going to return in a week in Paris. I want us to meet,” she replies gleefully and I know she is shrieking in joy.

I laugh softly and shake my head in disbelief. “Cara amour, I am going back to Korea tomorrow night. I will not be here anymore. How about I see you in the fashion week? I think I have a lot of free time then rather than now?” I suggest. I am not going to tell her that I’m going to New York, or else, she will visit me when I’m in a foul mood.

“That’s sounds great. I miss our drinking time together; I bet I will win this time.”

I snicker. “Let us see, who wins when we meet. I have to go already, Cara amour.” I end the call and start walking towards the studio that I really love.

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I skid on my steps as I see the person or persons standing in front of the camera. “Oh sh*t,” I mutter in incredulity of the situation. Should I really be here, at this time and at this situation? This is ridiculous for someone sake. I really can’t believe my absurd position right now.

“Jihye,” Sarah, my friend and ex-manager for my fashion week schedules, greets as she walks to me, the eyes of two persons turn into slits like dagger directed towards me. Shocks! I am really into a tight situation right now. Argh! I want to go home already.

“Sarah,” I respond to her and give her a hug in return for her warm welcome gesture for me. “It’s nice to see you again.”

She grins and nods her head. “It really is nice to see that you are still beautiful as the last time I laid eyes on you. How’s living in Korea?” She tugs my arms and drags me towards the danger zone. OMG! I literally am in panic mode inside my head.

“It is fine,” I reply, hiding perfectly my dread from coming near where she is taking me.

“Jihye, I want you to meet my new talents, Kiko Mizuhara and Haeri Shin, and she,” she points towards Haeri with a so innocent smile because she doesn’t know what is going around between the three of us, “is a Korean model just like you. Isn’t that great? Koreans are making into the fashion scene,” she says thrilled.

“It sure is,” I respond warmly as I can.

I really want to dig Sarah’s grave right now for not noticing the menacing atmosphere inside the small circle we are in. I can’t even fathom that this is really happening. I could believe it myself even if I am standing in front of them, smiling, trying so hard not to falter in front of them.

“It is really nice meeting you again, Ms. Kiko and Ms. Haeri,” I greet, but that didn’t sit well with them. Damn! Even I think it’s not appropriate for us but who cares. I don’t like acting that I only met them for the first time.

I turn my attention again to Sarah, who has this confuse look on her face. “I have met Kiko in Japan and once in Korea and Haeri’s family and mine are acquaintances,” I inform her to straighten things out to her. “So, what are we going to talk about?”

Sarah claps her hand and smiles. “I nearly forgot about it. Let’s go to the office.” She spins back to order her staffs to assist Kiko and Haeri about their schedules. “Let’s go?” she inquires when she is done being a bossy boss.

Sarah sits in the couch and then offers me to sit opposite hers. I completely oblige since I walk my way here while wearing heels. My feet are already freaking hurt from all the walking. “Shall I start?” I nod my head in response.

“First, I am being asked if you are still accepting fashion shows. I think you have met with Monsieur Lagerfeld earlier, he is one of them. The others are from New York and some are in London and most are in Paris. Are you willing to walk on shows again?”

I smile then shake my head. “I don’t do fashion shows anymore.”

Sarah smiles in understanding. “Next then,” she utters, “magazines all around the world and designers are asking if you want to model for them, but I asked your secretary back in Korea said that you are busy with something there. What is that something?” she inquires curiously.

I smirk at her. “Sarah, let’s not go to another direction,” I tell her amusedly.

She smiles sheepishly and coughs once before starting again. “Then are you really busy or should I ask your secretary to put some into your schedule?”

I think about it for a moment. I don’t think I’m that busy, maybe except for the fact that I still don’t know about the schedule for any of my commitments in Korea. “I think you can put two or three shoots for a magazine or accept invitations for attendance in going on in Paris but no walking on runways. Sarah, it is not three of both but three, all in all, okay?”

She laughs softly and replies, “I know. I will not make the same blunder again.”

Yeah, she did make a little something like that. It is like freaking war that I don’t have any rest for the days of my vacation in here.

“Then, is there another?” I inquire to her.

“Hmm…let me see,” Sarah expresses while tapping her finger on her chin. “How about you tell me about the tension earlier?”

I look at her flabbergasted but I should have known that she is intuitive when it comes to some abhor feelings in the air. She is one fine woman when it comes to gossips after all. I laugh so loud at her statement and she is smiling charmingly to me.

“It’s nothing serious. It is just that Kiko and Haeri are eyeing the man I’m being rumored with in Korea which is Kiko’s ex-boyfriend and Haeri’s one true love.” I confide to the nosy girl who is listening very carefully to me.

She is gasping in surprise when I’m in the point of telling her that the boy is Kiko’s ex, which is so laughable when you see it.

“So, you are telling me that you caught their man interest?” she wiggles her eyebrows meaningfully to me. I chuckle and nod my head. She squeals and wriggles in delight for the piece of juicy news brought to her. “Damn! I want to see the man that’s being love by many girls that I know.”

I grin at her amusedly. “Oh please,” I express while rolling my eyes, “it is not worth fretting about. Anyway, it is only a rumor and nothing more.” I lie which is good because she will not stop asking me about him and I don’t want the whole office to know the truth either.

In this office, there are no secrets being hidden. They are all being blurted out like it’s nothing but a piece of news that everyone has to know. I do wonder now, how many of my secrets in here have been sprawled out just because of Sarah’s big unstoppable mouth.

“When there is smoke, there’s always a fire,” she quotes and smiles at me triumphantly.

I shake my head in disbelief. “I have to go now. You are not the only person who needs my attention today, .” I taunt.

She slaps me lightly but she’s laughing. “Thanks for the time, . I’ll see your y attitude in the fashion week then.”

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Sorry, if there's no Jiyong in here but I just want Jihye to have her alone time once in a while. kekeke

And, sorry if I am very ambitious about Jihye's acquaintances. Well, it's fiction so I like ambitious. :D

Anyway, thanks for reading!

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-authonim loves you all