Kim Minjeong
It's been a week since I moved in here.
The company already released an official statement about Karina's well-being, they also mentioned about the one-month hiatus of the artist regarding her involvement to Yeonjun's death. The authorities and the media made it clear to the public that she is the victim. But unfortunately, there's still some fans of him who refuse to believe it. They're calling her a murderer, seducer, and every other vile name they can think of.
I know Karina isn't seeing any of it. The company has her phone locked down, and she's surrounded by people who are carefully curating what she sees and hears.
But I see it. I see the comments, the hate threads, the relentless attacks on her character.
And even though I still don't why I cared this much, those kind of people makes my blood boil.
I wish I could tell them the truth. I wish I could scream from the rooftops that Karina is innocent, that she was just trying to protect herself.
But I can't. Not yet.
Here, for the last couple of days, I spend most of my time inside, reading, watching movies, and trying to piece together what happened that night.
Karina hasn't spoken much about it. She's still traumatized, still struggling to come to terms with what happened. But I can see the pain, the fear in her eyes.
I know a part of her was blaming herself.
But it wasn't her fault.
Never is.
I stared at the news on my phone, seeing some fans still defending him.
"He's a good person, she's lying!"
"She's a whore!"
"Justice for Yeonjun!"
I close my eyes shut as I feel my jaw clenched.
"He's not even a good person" I mumbled between gritted teeth.
I turned off my phone.
I can't do anything about it now.
Then I heard a whistle.
I turned, and smell something.
"OH SHIT!"
I ran towards the kitchen, checked the stove and the Jajangmyeon that I was cooking.
I breath a sigh of relief.
It's still fine.
Atleast I still have the bulgogi, that I prepared earlier if I accidentally burnt the Jajangmyeon.
I'm expecting someone today so I decided to clean a little. Not that it's dirty, but I want to make a good impression, that I'm not a messy person.
I changed my clothes - still my usual oversized shirt and shorts.
Just I exited my room, the intercom rang.
I pressed the button.
"Yes?"
"Minjeong-ssi, do you by chance expecting visitors today?" the security guard asked.
Visitors?
I only invited Ning here.
Maybe...she brought a friend?
"Yes, Mr. Jang. Please let them in."
I opened my door to welcome them.
On the other end of the hallway, I heard the elevator dinged, and the doors opened.
There stood Ning, her usual cheerful self. But beside her was someone I didn't expect to come.
Hwang Yeji.
My smile widened.
"Ya! Minjeong!" Ning said, her voice bright. "Surprise! I brought Yeji unnie along!"
"Minjeong-ah!" Yeji basically run and threw herself on me, the impact made me stumbled a little. "I miss you!"
I returned the hug, " I miss you too Yeji-ah" I look at Ning, " And I miss you too dork." she glared at me.
Suddenly the door accross mine swung open.
Revealing a stunned Karina Yu.
Her orbs on mine, then travels to Yeji's arms that was wrapped around my neck. Her expression unreadable.
I quickly unwrapped Yeji's arms from around me, a nervous laugh escaping my lips.
I felt like I just got caught doing something unnecessary.
"M-Ms. Yu...d-do you need something?" I stammered.
Why am I even nervous?
Karina's eyes flickered between me and Yeji, then back to me. She took a step forward, her expression still unclear.
Before she could even say a word, Yeji beat her to it.
"Karina Yu... it was a pleasure to meet you, again, for...the second? third I guess, yes for the third time."
They were now standing, face to face.
The air crackled with unspoken hatred.
Karina and Yeji are solo artist rivals. Yu on SM Entertainment while Hwang on YG Entertainment.
Their fans are always at each other's throats, fighting over everything from music show wins to brand endorsements.
Karina's eyes narrowed, her voice dripping with disdain. "Hwang Yeji. What a...coincidence. I didn't realize Minjeong had such...eclectic taste in friends."
Yeji's smile was sharp, like a knife. "And I didn't realize Karina Yu had time to socialize, what with her busy schedule of...avoiding responsibility."
I winced, feeling the tension rise to a dangerous level. Yeji's pertaining about the Karina -Yeonjun drama.
Please someone, help!
I knew that their rivalry was intense, but I never expected it to spill in front of my- (A/N: You have now the privilege to comment the next word for Minjeong.)
I saw how Karina's jaw tightened.
"I have nothing to say to you, Hwang. I- I just wanted to see Minjeongie."
Me?
Wait...did she just called me- Minjeongie???
Yeji's brows arched. Seems interested on what she heard.
"Well, now you've seen her, so why don't you get back inside and leave us alone?" She pointed at Karina's door.
Okay...this might not end well.
I stepped forward, placing a hand on Yeji's arm. "Yeji, please," I whispered. "Don't."
Yeji glanced at me, her expression softening slightly. But her eyes still held this intensity.
At last, Ning clears her throat, stepping in," Hi Karina! I'm a fan, it was nice to see you up close! Oh my God! You're sooo gorgeous-" She faced me, then continue, "Minjeong it's okay if we invite her in too right?" Ning's eyes widened, secretly telling this emergency code.
"O-Oh yea! Of course, Ms. Yu's more than welcome to eat with us, I prepared a lot." I hope she didn't notice how fake my smile was.
Karina hesitated, her eyes darting between Yeji, Ning and me.
Like she's weighing her options.
Yeji's expression remained guarded, and thankfully she didn't say anything.
Finally, Karina nodded slowly. "Alright," she said, her voice stiff. "I'll join you- let me just call someone."
She slid inside her apartment again.
I let out a silent sigh of relief.
Thank you Ning! You saved us!
Yeji faced me, arms folded on her chest, "Is it just me or Karina bitchy Yu just gave you nickname - Minjeongie~" She mimicked, then do an aegyo.
My face crinkled.
Ning butt in, "Seriously Min, you and her, already on nickname basis? But you're keep calling her 'Ms. Yu' like you're both in the company building. So formal."
I shrugged, "I don't know what's gotten into her." I answered flatly cause I don't even know how to defend myself.
Yeji's cat-eyes narrowed, yet stayed silent.
Just then Karina's door open once again
A pink haired woman was now beaming at us.
Friendlier than the person next to her.
"Hiii- omo! Yeji-ah! Why are you here? You still look stunning as ever!" Aeri glanced to Ning, her eyes sparkling, " Yizhuo...I never thought we'd reunited publicly."
What...?
"Wait Aeri, you know Minjeong's friend?" Karina and I have this same curious expression.
Aeri nodded, "She's the fashion designer I told you about. I love her designs. Yizhuo here made that dress for me- the one I wore last Mnet Asian Music Award."
My jaw dropped.
I'm well aware that she's a fashion designer, but not a famous one at that!
I looked at Ning, who was blushing and trying to hide behind her hands.
She better explain things to me later.
Ning peeked out from behind her hands and said sheepishly, "I kind of made it secret."
"A secret?" the pink-haired exclaimed. "But you're so talented! Why would you keep that a secret?"
"Well, it's complicated," Ning said, shrugging. "I don't really want people to know who I am. I just want them to appreciate my designs for what they are, not because of who I am."
Aeri chuckled. "That's Ningning for you," she said, patting Ning on the head. "Always so humble."
My curiosity flashing up.
Giving nicknames, check.
Physical contact, check.
They're acting so close, that's definitely something.
Yeji, who had been silent until now, raised an eyebrow. "So, you're the one who designed that dress? I have to say, it was pretty impressive."
Ning blushed even harder. "Thank you unnie." she mumbled.
Karina, who seemed to be recovering from her initial shock, stepped forward and offered Ning her hand. "It's an honor to meet you, Yizhuo-ssi," she said, her voice sincere. "Your designs are truly amazing."
Ning shook Karina's hand, her eyes wide with surprise. "Thank you, Karina-ssi," she said. "That means a lot coming from you."
So....
"Can we- you know...get inside already? It's past lunch and we're still standing here." I said, cause I can't feel my legs anymore. They took those conversations seriously.
Aeri laughed, "Oh, you're right! We're blocking the hallway. Let's go, everyone!"
I move aside, "After all of you." I motioned for them to get in first.
I gestured for them to sit down at the table, which I had set up earlier with plates, utensils, and glasses - but of course since there's an additional here, I gotta add another set of those again.
"Okay, everyone, make yourselves comfortable," I said, trying to sound cheerful. "I'll go get the food."
This is going to be the most awkward lunch of my life.
I came back with the Jajangmyeon and bulgogi, I placed them on the table and invited everyone to help themselves.
We all started to dig in.
Not that I'm left out of the picture but I couldn't help observing this scene - Yeji was eyeing Karina with suspicion, and Karina was trying her best to avoid her gaze while Aeri was chatting animatedly with Ning, who was still blushing and trying to hide behind her hands.
Then, Aeri called me, "Minjeong-ah I approve you to be Karina unnie's soon to be housewife."
All of us - all of us except the woman who spoked, choked and was now coughing between hard breaths.
"What?" she asked innocently like she didn't just dropped a bomb a while ago. "It's true! Not only you cook delicious, I bet you taste delicious too."
This time, only me and Karina choked- not with our food, not with the water, - with the air.
~
After that intense lunch we had, they decided- I mean Aeri suggested that we watched some movies.
My small couch could barely fit all of us, so we had to get creative with the seating arrangement.
Aeri, ever the mediator, took charge. "Okay, everyone, let's see... how can we fit everyone comfortably."
She stood there, analyzing the invisible.
My couch, which could barely fit three people, was quickly claimed by Karina, who sat at one end, and Yeji, who sat at the other, leaving a noticeable gap between them. It was like they were trying to maintain a safe distance from each other, even while sitting on the same couch.
Aeri, sensing the tension, plopped down on the floor in front of the couch, leaning back against it. She patted the space next to her, inviting Ning to join her.
Getting bolder now Uchinaga.
Ning, still flustered from the earlier revelations, hesitated for a moment before shyly sitting down next to Aeri, careful not to touch her.
That left me with the only remaining option: my armchair, which was situated slightly to the side of the couch beside Karina's end. It wasn't the most comfortable spot, but at least I had my own space.
So, there we were: Karina and Yeji on the couch, trying to ignore each other, Aeri and Ning on the floor, acting like a cute couple, and me in my armchair, feeling like an awkward observer.
I turned off the lights and started the movie.
Yeji chose this one, "Psycho - 1960"
It was a horror movie.
And I'm not really a fan of it, but I figured it couldn't be that bad.
I was wrong.
About halfway through the movie, there was a particularly gruesome scene involving a killer and a kitchen knife.
I jumped in my seat, letting out a small yelp.
I glanced over at Karina, who was sitting perfectly still on the couch, her eyes glued to the screen.
She didn't even flinch.
"Are you not scared at all?" I whispered, leaning towards her.
She turned to me, a bored look on her face, "Not really," she whispered back. "I've seen worse."
I shivered, wondering what she meant by that.
Just then, there was another jump scare, and this time, Karina did flinch. She let out a small gasp and instinctively reached out, grabbing my arm.
Her grip was surprisingly tight, and I could feel body tensed.
"Sorry," she mumbled, quickly releasing my arm. "I didn't mean to do that."
I scratched my nape.
"It's okay..."
Karina hesitated for a moment, then nodded slowly.
Just then, the movie delivered a truly unexpected jump scare. A ghostly figure flashed on the screen, accompanied by a deafening shriek. Karina, completely caught off guard, lurched violently. She gasped, her eyes wide with terror, and she lost her balance, nearly tumbling off the couch.
Before she could fall, I instinctively reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her back.
"Woah, careful!" I exclaimed.
Karina blinked, her face pale. "Th-thanks," she stammered. "I definitely didn't expect that."
She gripped my arm tightly for a moment, as if needing reassurance, before quickly letting go.
Just as the another tension in the movie was building, Yeji's phone suddenly rang, that made Aeri and Ning both yelp in surprise.
"Sorry," she mumbled, standing up. "I need to take this."
She walked towards the kitchen, didn't go too far, just enough to have some privacy. I could still hear her muffled voice.
A few moments later, we heard her gasp, surprise and shock. The call ended abruptly.
Yeji slowly walked back into the living room, her face pale and her eyes wide with disbelief.
"What's wrong Yeji-ah?" I asked.
Yeji looked at me, her voice trembling.
"W-Wooyoung and San oppa..." she stammered, "They're dead."