Chapter 3
WHEN I GET ON SET THE NEXT DAY SO WE CAN start filming the fifth episode, things are not how I thought they would be.
It’s not that I expected a pat on the back or a “Congratulations, everyone, we did it!” but I thought there would at least be some positive vibes since we finally had our show out in the world. Instead, there’s chaos. Pure chaos.
“The ratings for the first episode are in, and we’re only ranked fifth!”
“Auntie’s Sandwiches dropped their sponsorship! I knew we should have had more shots of Bryan eating the sandwich!”
“What do you mean the script for episode six needs to be revised? We have to start shooting it this week so we don’t fall behind schedule!”
Everywhere I look, someone is screaming about something and running around.
It reminds me of the American saying “Running around like headless chickens.” I hadn’t thought of that very specific image since I moved to Korea, but that’s the only way I can describe how people are acting on set this morning.
“Pretty wild, huh?”
I glance behind me to see Bryan standing there with his entourage. He rubs his hands together, and like magic, his assistant immediately hands him a piping hot thermos. I try not to roll my eyes.
“Yeah, what happened?” I ask, although I have a pretty good idea what’s going on.
“Apparently the first episode didn’t perform as well as we’d hoped and we lost one of our top sponsors, along with a few other problems. Hopefully the second episode tonight will perform better, but we’ll need to figure out a way to boost viewer interest so we can attract new sponsors.”
“Hana! Bryan!”
My eyes widen when I see Mr. Kim, one of the top producers of SBC Studios, heading in our direction.
Mr. Kim is one of those fancy business suit–wearing office types that always sits at his desk behind his custom-designed, black-marble stone-carved nameplate, so it’s so bizarre to see him walking around outside in the cold like the rest of us.
Even with his designer brand parka, he looks just as miserable and cold as I feel.
“I need to speak with you and your teams immediately. Can you come by my office after you are wrapped for the day?”
Instantly, Bryan goes rigid straight and bows at a perfect ninety-degree angle from his waist.
“Yes, sir,” he says. “At your service.”
Suck-up , I think, before also bowing to the producer. It doesn’t come as naturally and instinctively for me as it does for native Koreans like Bryan, but luckily, bowing is one of the easier Korean social norms. “Yes, sir,” I repeat after Bryan.
Mr. Kim makes a satisfied noise before heading back in the direction he came from.
“I wonder why he wants to see us,” says Bryan when Mr. Kim is out of earshot.
I shrug. “No idea. But it must be pretty important for him to come down himself.”
“Nah, I think he was here for other production business. My manager mentioned that they’re trying to come up with a new strategy to boost views.”
Sophia isn’t here with me today—I share her with other people since I’m one of the “less famous” clients—so I’m admittedly jealous that Bryan has his own personal manager to keep him informed at all times. I make a mental note to send Sophia a quick update when I can.
“New strategy... Sounds ominous,” I say.
Bryan raises his eyebrows. “Knowing Mr. Kim, it’s probably going to be a game changer, for better or worse. He’s a scary dude with wild ideas. Like Park Tae-suk in the K-pop world. They’re close friends, I think.”
Despite his being my direct lead producer, Mr. Kim is someone I don’t know much about, but I do know a lot about Mr. Park.
Two years ago, Mr. Park created You’re My Shining Star , a K-pop competition in the United States, under our company and brought back two American teens to be the next big K-pop stars.
My favorite singer was one of them, so I hope it’s a good sign that Mr. Kim is friends with Mr. Park.
I really wish he didn’t want to meet today, though. From the way things are on set right now, we’ll probably wrap late again, and the company office in Sangam-dong, which is where many of the major studio buildings in Seoul are, is in the opposite direction I go to get back home.
Before we shoot our next scene, I text my parents to let them know I’ll be home late. Sophia usually has my phone when she’s on set with me, but I try to have it on me—on silent, of course—in case of an emergency when she’s not.
Hope the meeting goes well! Mom replies. Let me know if you need me to leave leftovers for you in the fridge.
My mom really is the best.
I’m also updating Sophia about what went down this morning when Director Cha calls out, “Okay, everyone, please be ready to start shooting again in five minutes! We have a lot of ground to cover today.”
Pushing out all other thoughts from my head, I get into character for the next scene.
“You want us to do what ?”
I’m dog-tired from the long day of shooting, so I hope I misheard what Mr. Kim just said.
Bryan and I are in Mr. Kim’s office, along with whoever from our team could make the meeting. For me, that’s Sophia, who was thankfully able to move things around in her schedule to be here with me, while Bryan has his manager and a few others from his team.
“We think it’d be best if you and Bryan-ssi started a romantic relationship,” Mr. Kim says diplomatically, like he’s some political advisor negotiating an armistice between two warring countries.
“Not a real one, of course. But a strategically devised, contract-sanctioned one that’ll catch the public’s eye.
We will spread the word through top international news platforms and ensure that it will make the entertainment headlines. ”
He spreads his hands out in front of him.
“‘Top K-Pop Star Bryan Yoon Falls in Love with New, Mysterious Costar Jin Hana.’ Just think about how the public will react. Fans from all over the world will tune in to Fated Destiny to see how it sparked the romance between you two. And hopefully, seeing you and him as a real couple will encourage people to keep watching the show beyond that as well. After all, you have great on-screen chemistry, so it probably won’t be that hard to convince everyone. ”
Bryan and I lock eyes, and I immediately gag. Oops. The sound just comes out of my mouth before I can stop myself.
The room goes silent, other than the sound of someone—Sophia, I think—trying very hard not to laugh. Bryan rolls his eyes and looks the other way.
“Yes,” replies Mr. Kim. His lips curl into a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.
“Believe it or not, you were cast to be Bryan’s love interest because our creative team agreed that you and he share incredible on-screen chemistry.
It’s quite unfortunate that you two apparently despise each other in real life, but you are an actress for a reason, are you not? ”
I look toward Bryan again, only to see that he’s staring back at me, too.
Granted, since Bryan was definitively ranked in this year’s “Top Five Hottest Young K-Pop Stars,” there are worse guys to be in a fake relationship with.
But I’m sixteen . I’ve never even been in a real relationship.
And pretending to date Bryan, someone who I don’t actually have feelings for, is the last thing I want to do right now.
I expect Bryan to look just as repulsed by the idea as I am, but he keeps his gaze on me calm and even friendly as he says, “Sure, I’ll do it.
It sounds like an excellent idea. My team and I will have to set up the formal terms before I officially agree on anything.
But if this can help our ratings, I’m in. ”
Both Bryan and Mr. Kim stare at me with expectant looks. It’s then that I realize just how much of a formality this meeting is. I don’t have much of a choice. In this industry, guys like Bryan and Mr. Kim get to call all the shots, while girls like me are just expected to follow along.
Even though I hate how underhanded and sneaky this whole thing is, I’d also do anything for the show as long as it means we can get better ratings.
Mr. Kim is a top studio executive who’s been overseeing internationally popular shows long before I was even born.
If anyone knows how to boost our ratings, it would be him.
I think back to how my parents were disappointed with our show’s premiere last night.
I can’t do anything about how the show is written, but what I can do is catch the public’s attention so people will at least tune in to see us together.
And hopefully, that’ll be enough to make it so that everyone’s hard work and sacrifices don’t just go to waste.
“Okay,” I say. “I’ll give it a try. But I also have to discuss things with my manager first.”
I shoot Sophia a look, and she nods.
“Splendid!” says Mr. Kim. “Please forward me a copy of the agreement established by both of your teams once everything is settled.”
And that’s that. It’s obvious from his tone that we’re dismissed.
Just one business meeting and suddenly I’m no longer single. Not publicly, anyway. If only it were that easy to date someone in real life!
Once we’re out of the office building, I turn to Bryan, expecting him to say something about what just happened. But despite how eager he was when he said he’d date me for the good of the show, he avoids meeting my eyes and walks away.
What a fake jerk-wad , I think.
To avoid fuming over Bryan, I stare up at the shiny blue glass exterior of the studio’s headquarters.
It’s dark outside, but the building shines brilliantly thanks to its countless lights.
A few people are still entering and exiting the building.
When I first stepped inside this building for my auditions, I thought this was where my dreams would come true.
In a way, they did, but definitely not how I thought they would.
As I’m walking to my bus stop, I get this sudden, strong urge to message Minjee. Rivals or not, she was still one of my best friends, and she was the one I could always talk to about how unfairly the industry treats girls like us.
We’re still friends on KakaoTalk, the main instant messaging app that everyone uses in Korea.
I click on her profile and stare at her picture, a snapshot of the cheap but still cute photo booth picture I took with her.
We’re both in our sky-blue school uniforms and holding matching victory signs while laughing at some joke that I don’t remember anymore.
We’re so close together that Minjee’s long curls are practically enmeshed in my then shoulder-length hair.
I might have forgotten what we were laughing about, but I still remember how warm and happy she made me feel. Whether it was wandering through the streets of Seoul, looking for the best shaved ice places, or helping each other memorize lines for school plays, we always had fun together.
I don’t remember who stopped talking first, me or her, but I really miss her.
But I don’t know how I’d even start up a new conversation.
It’s just been too long since we last talked for it to not be awkward, no matter what I said.
Besides, wouldn’t it just sound like bragging if I told her about my problems about the very show that passed her over?
When the bus arrives at my stop, I give up on trying to compose a message and slip the phone back in my pocket. Things may be rough, but that probably doesn’t give me an excuse to randomly dig up dead friendships.
I make a mental note to give Sophia a call when I get back home. If she can’t help me navigate through this whole situation with Bryan, then no one can.