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Chapter 5
THANKFULLY, THE REST OF THE SHOOTING WEEKgoes by smoothly, and we’re able to have some time off. For one brief moment, I wake up, stretching leisurely, and feel immensely happy about the first free Saturday I’ve had in a long time.
But then I remember. Today’s the day I’m going on my first date with Bryan.
I sigh and turn over onto my side. I close my eyes, and some part of me naively hopes that the reality of my situation will fade away like a bad dream.
Before I can get too comfortable, though, my phone goes off. I’m not awake enough yet to open my eyes and check who’s calling me, so I answer in polite Korean, “Yes?”
“Bryan’s team sent over the details for the first date,” Sophia immediately says without a hello. “It’s at Lotte World, in Songpa-gu. And they want you there by two p.m., when the park is bound to be crowded. They want to make the date aspublic as possible, and with everyone’s excitement, it might get messy. Be ready to get photographeda lot. Dress nicely, but also keep it casual and discreet, like you two really are on some private date. Wear a face mask, a hat, et cetera. Keep it modest, and of course, make it designer.”
“Nice but not obviously bougie, got it.”
I check the time. It’s well past noon. I didn’t set my alarm last night because we didn’t have a shoot today.
I slide off my bed and start going through my closet while Sophia continues telling me more details about the date. Since I’m a firm believer that you can never go wrong with neutral colors, I end up choosing black thermal leggings, a dark gray merino wool sweater dress, and a white down puffer jacket. As finishing touches, I also pick out a light gray cashmere scarf and a black face mask. Winters in Korea are much more brutal than I’m used to in Florida, so honestly, my top priority is that I’m warm. If it weren’t for Sophia’s advice, I probably wouldn’t have even worn a dress in the first place.
I put Sophia on speaker, and she continues while I change, “Hopefully, the netizens will think you two are a good match, but there’s still a huge chance that this will all backfire. It depends on how Bryan’s fans end up seeing it. From what I know of them, the Brybabies tend to be a pretty volatile and unpredictable fan base. Fans in general tend to go to extremes when they find out their favorite idol is in a relationship. They either abandon the celebrity because they feel betrayed, or they remain loyal to the star but viciously attack the significantother. Sometimes fansdopassionately ship the couple, like with Hyuna and Dawn... but eventhatcouple initially got a lot of backlash in Korea despite favorable international opinion. With the Brybabies, Bryan’s fans abandoning him is obviously theleastfavorable outcome right now, since that’ll definitely hurtFated Destiny’s ratings as well.”
I was half asleep when Sophia started talking, but now I’m definitely awake.
“So what you’re saying is,” I reply, “if this date doesn’t go well, I could have an angry, multimillion-person fan base at my throat. And lose most of the viewers of my show.”
“Yup, basically.”
“Wow, no pressure, huh?”
“Mr. Kim definitely knew the risks going into this, but he must have figured that the potential benefits outweighed the risks. Let’s hope he’s right.”
When I come out of my room, I run into Mom, who’s also on her way out. She’s holding her grocery bag and wallet like she’s headed to the outdoor market.
“Oh, you’re leaving, too?” Mom asks. “Are you hanging out with your friends?”
I curse under my breath, trying to decide whether I should lie or tell the truth as we walk to the elevator.
“Hey, Sophia, I have to go,” I say. “I’ll call you back in a bit.”
“Hana, I already—”
I hang up before she can finish her sentence. I’m too preoccupied with figuring out how to tell Mom about everything. I press the down button for the elevator, look around to check that no one else is in sight, and then say, “Sort of.... I’m going to Lotte World to have a date with Bryan Yoon. He plays Hyun inFated Destiny.We’re not actually dating, though. It’s just for the PR.”
Mom doesn’t say anything, and when I sneak a glance up at her face, she doesn’t even look surprised. And then, I realize.
“Sophia already told you about everything, didn’t she?” I ask.
Mom smiles apologetically. She also checks that no one else is around before quietly replying, “Yes.... You and Bryan are both minors. It’s not like you can enter into agreements of this sort without the permission of your legal guardians. I was just waiting for you to bring it up since it didn’t seem like you wanted to talk about it with me.”
Ididn’twant to discuss it with Mom before, but now that I knowsheknows, a huge weight has been lifted from my chest. It feels nice to know I have one more person in my corner who knows the truth.
The elevator arrives, and after we get in and the doors close in front of us, Mom continues, “Sophia sent me a copy of all the terms. You’re okay with what they agreed on, right?”
I press the button for the first floor. “Yup, Sophia did a thorough job.”
“I thought so, too. And, Hana...” Mom takes my handand squeezes it. “You know you don’t have to go through with this if you don’t want to, right? Just because the industry professionals tell you to do something, it doesn’t mean you have to do it if you feel uncomfortable with it. And it’s not too late to back out now. If you want, I can call the company and say I withdraw my permission to give you an easy out.”
It occurs to me that this is the first time someone has really checked in on me to make sure I want to go along with this scheme. I force myself to smile. The last thing I want is for Mom to be worried about me. “Yeah, it’s a little awkward, but I’m mostly okay with it. And I already spend most of my day pretending to like Bryan anyway.”
Mom laughs, and a little bit of tension leaves her face. “Well, good. I hope you at least have some fun today and all this trouble gives you the results you want it to. Try to make the most of the experience?”
