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He presses a button on the machine, flipping open a cover. I slot the pod in place, then click the button to begin the brewing process.
Nathaniel leans back against the counter. “Ajumma was here earlier, but she went outside to the garden. I think that’s what she said. She asked me if I wanted breakfast, but I said I’d wait for you.”
“I’m glad. I... wanted to have breakfast together.”
I don’t know whether it’s because I’m in my house, but I’m being more honest with him than normal, and with myself. My cheeks flush. I look up, expecting to see his amused expression, but he’s looking away, his own cheeks bright with color.
“We’ll both be busy during the day,” he says, “but let’s try to have breakfast and dinner together.”
“Okay.”
His coffee finishes brewing, and we return to the dining room.
“I have to get back to the lecture...”
“Don’t worry about me,” I say quickly.
As he settles back in his seat, I head upstairs to my bedroom, gathering stationery supplies from the drawers in my desk. Returning downstairs, I take the seat directly across from him, laying out my materials. Others find comfort in meditation or exercise; I find comfort in aesthetically pleasing stationery. I see him smile as I place down myWe Bare Bearssticky notepads and multicolored gel pens, but he doesn’t say anything, his focus returning to the lecture.
I select a notepad and uncap my pen, but my gaze keeps straying to Nathaniel. The way he concentrates is very... attractive.He has a notebook of his own—a very plain black one—and with his plain black pen, he’s taking notes in English,in cursive;his penmanship is surprisingly neat.
He looks up, a question in his gaze. I quickly duck my head.
I try to concentrate onmytask. Secretary Park sent over Hyemi’s schedule, which I printed out the night before. I take notes on the sticky pads and affix them to the page, jotting down ideas where I can step in to help Hyemi. She’s moving into a dorm with the other ASAP members tomorrow. It’ll be a big change from living alone with just her father to sharing a living space with five other girls. Besides working on her choreography, I’ll want to make sure she’s coping well, mentally and emotionally.
A half hour passes as Nathaniel and I work on our individual tasks, and though we’re not interacting besides the occasional moments when our eyes meet, it’s one of the best mornings I can remember having in a long time.
Ajumma returns from the garden, and we have breakfast, all three of us, with Nathaniel coaxing Ajumma to sit and enjoy a slice of toast with blackberry jam.
Afterward, he walks me to the bus stop, which is just past the convenience store. Sliding my duffle bag from his shoulder, he hands it to me. KS is sending a car to pick him up. He gave an address of one of my neighbors around the block. The KS people don’t know where he actually lives, so they won’t ask questions, nor will they care, as they’re used to protecting idols’ private lives.
“I won’t have my phone on me,” Nathaniel says. He’s changed out of his sweats into a black shirt. “KS is strict with devices thatcan take video, and I’d rather just leave it behind instead of having it confiscated. But I’ll be back at the house tonight.”
“Okay,” I say, as the bus pulls up to the stop. “Thanks for letting me know.”
He waves goodbye as I step onto the bus. I tap my card to the electronic reader by the driver, then hurry to a window seat in time to wave to him back.
The ASAP members have already been practicing for five hours by the time I arrive, and they’re not alone.
“Eomeoni,” I say, surprised to see my mother standing against the wall. Though she’s the CEO of Joah, she rarely visits the practice rooms. My chest tightens when I see the dark circles beneath her eyes. It’s only been a few days since I saw her, but they’ve gotten worse. I’d told Nathaniel he could stay for the rest of his hiatus, but if my mother needs to rest, then I’d rather she came home.
“Sori-yah, is that you?” A woman in her forties with wavy hair pokes her head from behind my mother. I recognize her immediately—Ryu Jin-rang, one of the most talented creative directors in the business.
She was the mind behind XOXO, as well as other popular boy groups, like 95D. If she’s taking on ASAP, then this will be her first girl group, and knowing her reputation, she’ll be determined to make them as big, or evenbigger, than her boy groups.
I bow to both Director Ryu and my mother.
“Min Hee-yah,” Director Ryu says casually—she might be a formidable presence in the industry, but she’s also a close friend of my mother’s—“was your daughter always this pretty?”
“You saw me only a few months ago,” I say, “at my father’s charity event at the golf course, remember?”
“Ah, yes.” She looks at my mother, then up at the ceiling. As my mother’s close friend, she also has strong opinions on my father. “Your mother told me how you’re the one helping Woo Hyemi,” she says. “I feel more confident knowing you’re lending her your support.”
We return our attention to the members, who are working with the choreographer to prepare for their music video shoot over the weekend. With the six of them, their screen times will be varied, with Hyemi having the least amount of time due to her having the least lines—nine seconds total of the two minutes and forty-eight second song. But even with less lines, and placement at the back of the formation, she’s clearly making more mistakes than the others. When Hyemi messes up so significantly that the entire group has to stop the choreography, two of the members shoot Hyemi frustrated looks.
“What do you think of the concept, Sori?” Director Ryu asks, distracting me.
I tear my gaze away from Hyemi to consider her question. According to the document Secretary Park sent over, the concept for ASAP’s debut is young women breaking into workplaces traditionally dominated by men in Korean society. The title track, “Wake Up,” is an upbeat pop melody with romantic lyrics, but that’s beside the point.
