I'm on the road, heart pounding, when I finally see Ajin Baek's car. A quick HONK HONK to get her attention. "Your text made me think something terrible had happened to you," I tell her, recalling the alarming message: "I can't move. What do I do?" I was ready for an emergency, not this. "I hope it was fun scaring the bejeesus out of me. If you had something to drink, why didn't you just call a driver service to drive you home?"
But the look on her face tells me this wasn't a prank. "A terrible thing DID happen to me," she says, touching her cheek. "Who'd ever want to walk around like this?"
"Obviously nobody! What happened?" I press, knowing she wouldn't have called me if it was nothing.
"There's no way a glass of wine just randomly fell on you," I say, thinking out loud. "Did you run into an anti-fan at the restaurant?"
"Kind of…" she admits. "There's this one lady who hates my guts. I don't know who she is but she sounds like a piece of work."
"What the hell was your manager doing, letting you deal with that all on your own?" I demand. That's a manager's job.
"It's my manager's day off today," she sighs, then adds: "Then why didn't you bring Junseo around with you?" Junseo is her usual bodyguard or assistant for situations like this.
"Well, I called you, didn't I?" she counters. "Plus, I don't really want to see Junseo right now..."
"Did you two fight or something...?" I ask, but she smoothly changes the subject before I can get an answer.
"Anyway, have you had anything to eat yet, Jaeo?" she asks. I shake my head. "I'm gonna shower as soon as I get home. So...? Do you know how to make ramen?"
Soon enough, I'm in her celebrity kitchen, making ramen. "WHISH WHISH. BUBBLE BUBBLE." I feel a childish sense of accomplishment. "Wow, I've made it in life. Who knew I'd be making ramen in a celebrity's house?" I even notice: "She even likes it the way I do."
Ajin peeks out from the hallway, still in her robe. "Is it done yet?" she asks impatiently. "It took me ten minutes to find the pot. Hey, will you put something on?!" I shout back.
Finally, we're sitting down to eat. "Thank you for cooking," she says. I look at her, noticing she's still wearing the formal shirt and tie from her day.
"What's with the suit, by the way?" I ask.
She puts down her chopsticks. "I went to my aunt's place to see my little brother… But he won't see me. I don't blame him."
"Why? Because you killed someone?" Jaeo asks, the question hanging in the air over the ramyeon.
I don't answer directly. Instead, I offer a bitter observation about the situation with my little brother. "Your brother is being foolish. You'd do anything for him and he can't see that. If I were him, I'd do everything in my power to keep you around for life."
Jaeo takes a bite of his food, a faint smile playing on his lips. "He's being stupid," he agrees.
"PFFFT YOU'RE SO WEIRD..." I laugh, a genuine sound despite the earlier tension. I feel the need to defend my family, even to him. "My little brother is super smart, you know. He gets good grades at school too. Do you want to see a photo of him?"
He closes his eyes and smiles. "Before I take a look at a photo of your brother, take a look at this first. This is why I brought you here," he says, and then SLIDEs a paper across the table.
I pick up the photo. "What's this?"
"It's a photo of Junseo and his family. That young man is the family driver. I think his name is Jiho Kang. Could you find him for me?"
He studies the picture, his eyes widening slightly. "Oh, I was wondering why the kid looked so familiar… Why are you looking for their family driver?"
"He's a very important person to Junseo… and could potentially change his life," I explain, choosing my words carefully. "So don't say anything to Junseo and look into it quietly for me."
Jaeo is a professional, and he understands the scale of the request. "Finding someone takes time. It could take years sometimes, and the cost--"
"It doesn't matter, as long as you can bring him before my eyes," I interrupt, my eyes fixed on the photo. "I have to find him before that old man does. There will be a time where this information proves to be useful."
Jaeo nods, accepting the job. "Okay, I'll ask my boss to look into it…" He pauses, then leans forward with a question I know he's been holding back. "Hey, can I ask you something? What is the relationship between you and Junseo?"
I wait for the rest of the thought.
"You're not related, and you're a bit too close to be just friends... but you're not lovers either. You two look real strange to people looking in from the outside."
He's right. Our relationship is complicated, a fact I'm all too aware of. But I don't give him an answer, just a look that tells him to drop the subject for now. He'll find out soon enough.
"You two look real strange to people looking in from the outside," Jaeo repeats after describing my relationship with Junseo.
I gently tap my chopsticks on the bowl. "Hmm... I don't know either," I reply, then offer him my analysis. "Junseo is like a reed. He may sway in the wind at times, but ultimately, nothing can keep him away from me. He loves and hates me too deeply."
Jaeo, however, is not swayed by my poetic description. "Whatever it is, stop acting like that to Junseo... Like that...?" he asks, frustrated. "You can use me all you want, but don't use him. He genuinely cares about you. He's suffering, and I think it's because of you."
His tone is unusually sharp. "He never seemed that way in high school, but now he just seems like a robot that's been custom built for you."
I look at him, acknowledging his concern. "That's not exactly normal, is it?" I respond. "If Junseo genuinely cares about me, then what about you?"
Jaeo takes a breath, his eyes meeting mine. "I'm just a guy who has nothing to lose. Even if I were to put my life in your hands," he states simply. He then leans in, speaking from the heart. "I don't know if you kept me around because you pity me, but you've been the only one to ever take my side. You're the only person who never pointed fingers at me for being a murderer. Even when my own aunt can't look me in the eye, you've never once avoided meeting my gaze."
He pauses, the realization dawning on him. "And I just realized that... I want to be useful to you... now that I have the chance to be around you again."
"I'm not clever like Junseo, so I don't know how I'd be useful... But I'm here to dedicate my life to you because you're the only person who took my side."
I meet his earnest gaze, sensing the true depth of his commitment. "Only if that's what you want, of course," I say, a silent promise in my eyes that I will accept his devotion.
A little while later, I hear a knock at the door. "I brought you a present, you jerk," a voice calls out. It's Junseo, holding a shopping bag.
"A present…?" I ask, surprised.
He pulls out a baseball cap. "T-THIS IS...!" I gasp, recognizing the limited edition item.
"I know you love the hats from this brand," Junseo says. "I saw this one was a limited edition release so I picked it up for you." I kneel on the floor, overcome with gratitude for the thoughtful gift.
He sits down while I examine the cap. "Is Grandma asleep?" he asks.
"It's the middle of the night! Of course she's asleep. What's that?" I point to a bright pink bag he has with him.
"Oh, this is yarn for Grandma. I was eating dinner with a coworker and she asked me to give this to her. I've been meaning to drop it off, but kept forgetting."
"Your coworker gave it to you? Is it a woman?" I ask, suddenly curious.
He smiles, a dreamy look in his eyes. "Yeah. She's also with Longstar and is really sweet and thoughtful. She's very mature for her age, but most importantly, she's very caring."
I watch him GUSH over her. "He's head over heels for her. Tsk, tsk," I muse to myself.
Then, the mood shifts as he pulls out his phone and looks up something. "Oh, isn't Ajin Baek with Longstar too? Hey, was that post online true??" he asks, looking at me.
"...? Post? What post?" I respond, trying to play dumb, though my stomach tightens.
"'I'd like to expose Ajin Baek for who she really is…?' I mean, this person's story is full of holes and people don't seem very convinced. Longstar put out a statement saying these are baseless rumors. Did you really have no idea?"
"Oh, I'm not sure," I lie smoothly. "I've just encountered a lot of people who dislike me... One person in high school even went out of their way to spread malicious rumors about me."
Junseo looks troubled by my response, his eyes fixed on the screen. "I think I know what might have happened... This probably broke her heart… Maybe next time, I'll buy her a drink instead of dinner..." he says, still talking about his coworker.
He's clearly focused on his new love interest, which means he's distracted from the storm that's brewing around me. My phone BZZZZes, a new text notification appearing on the screen. The rumors are spreading faster than I thought.
My phone BZZZZes with a new text message. I pick it up, looking distracted from Junseo's ramble about his coworker.
He notices and asks, "... WHO'S THAT?"
"It's Inkang," I reply casually. "He wants to have dinner with me tonight."
Junseo's expression darkens. "Will you tell me... what you're planning on going with Inkang, now?"
"I told you. I'm going to date him."
"What for?" he demands, clearly not buying the simple answer.
"For me, of course. Well, my career, to be exact," I say, setting down my chopsticks to look at him properly.
Junseo's face is tense. "WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE INKANG?"
I smile, adjusting my hair. "Isn't it obvious? He has a stable career... He's talented, and has a great public opinion. How many celebrities have a great public opinion like he does? Once I start dating him, people will start to think highly of me too."
I know my answer sounds cold and calculated, but I don't care. Junseo can choose to obsess over his co-worker while he's getting distracted by online rumors about me. I have to protect my future, and if dating a well-regarded celebrity like Inkang is the best way to do that, then that's what I'll do.
I notice the lingering hurt in his eyes and try to lighten the mood. "Why not? You're so kind and thoughtful! Anyone would love to be friends with you." He just stares at me, his handsome face unreadable. He's going to make this difficult, I can already tell.
"Fine. Let's say you do date him," Junseo finally says, resignation creeping into his voice. "Then what? What happens after you're done with him? Would you do what you did to the cafe owner—"
I cut him off, a sharp glance silencing the unspoken accusation. "I know that you're worried… that I might use and hurt him." I lean closer, speaking softly to counteract his anxiety. "All I want is to date him... and people break up all the time. I'm going to date him, and eventually break up with him. That's not a problem, is it? Unless you believe everyone who's ever broken up with anyone deserves to have fingers pointed at them, you have no right to point fingers at me."
I look away, feeling the heat of his gaze. "Ms. Seo won't approve of me dating someone too early in my career... but she'd probably change her mind if it was Inkang. There's no one better than him." I let out a low chuckle, a hint of malice in my voice. "No, there are a few other small benefits here and there. Plus, it'll be fun. I get to take advantage of the contacts Inkang has gathered in the industry over the years... It would be much more fun to screw Irena over as Inkang's girlfriend too."
Junseo stares at me, his face a mask of disappointment. I shrug. "Stop worrying. People get into relationships and break up. I'd be doing the same."
Screeeech! Crash!
Later that night, the sound of an engine roaring rips through the quiet street. "VROOOOM!"
Junseo is on his motorcycle, speeding, checking his watch in the dark. "OH NO. AT THIS RATE, I'LL BE LATE...!" He pushes the bike harder.
In the next moment, a dark car pulls out from a side street. "HONK HONK. VROOOOM!"
The car speeds past, but not before SCREEECHing tires cut the air. Junseo, looking over his shoulder, sees the car veering wildly.
CRASH! The horrifying sound of metal crumpling is followed by a sickening CRASH!
Junseo stops his motorcycle, his head whipping around. The red-haired man, whom he knows only as Jaeo's friend, is now standing in the middle of the road, shocked.
"?!" Junseo is stunned. What just happened? Did Jaeo's friend just get hit by that car? And why was he on my mind at a moment like this?
What will Junseo do now that he's witnessed this crash?