Chapter 30
EARLY NEXT MORNING, THERE’S A KNOCK AT OUR apartment door.
When I open it, I see Minjee and Bryan standing at my front step.
Both have sunglasses on and their jacket hoods up for the sake of anonymity, and so do I.
We all look like we’re embarking on some secret mission.
And I guess in a way we are. If we weren’t in such a rush, I’d snap a quick selfie of us to commemorate how badass we look.
“So,” Bryan says, “you ready for this thing?”
In the end, the three of us combined our statements so we could make one big general announcement to the public during the press conference that our managers set up for us.
I pull Bryan and Minjee in for a hug before we head downstairs.
“Yup,” I say. “Let’s go.”
Sophia is waiting for us at the parking lot in the company car.
“All right, here we go,” she says when we get in.
On the way to the studio, Minjee grabs my hand and squeezes it in a reassuring way.
No one speaks during the entire car ride, and I take the moment to rehearse in my head what I want to say.
I got my part of the statement approved by Mom, Sophia, and Minjee before I memorized it.
I practiced it countless times after that, but I still feel like I can’t go over it enough.
As is true for most public statements, I know we’ll only have this one chance to give everyone the most accurate picture of what happened.
With how fast social media spreads things, one wrong word or gesture and I might just become the next pop culture meme.
The pressure only gets worse as we approach the station. Soon enough, it gets hard to breathe.
I reach out toward Minjee. She immediately leans her head against my shoulder.
“Sorry to ruin your little K-drama moment, but you haven’t forgotten that I’m here in the car with you guys, right?” Bryan asks, sounding more amused than annoyed.
“Bryan,” Minjee says, sitting up straight to face him. “We should get you a boyfriend. Or a girlfriend. Or a nonbinary partner. Anyone! Aren’t you sick of being the third wheel?”
“Obviously. But hey, who said I’m not dating anyone?”
Minjee and I look at each other with our eyebrows raised.
“Wait, what?” I ask.
Bryan scoffs. “Oh, come on. I have a life outside of the show, too, you know. It’s fairly new, though. I learned a lot from Hana’s and my fake relationship, so... yeah. Trying my best to keep it a secret from everyone for now.”
“Isn’t it wild how much power the industry has over our personal lives?” I ask, suddenly exhausted. “I mean, the fact that we’re having to make this statement at all...”
“Yeah,” Minjee replies. “But we’ve got this. I know you guys are scared. Believe me, I am, too. But we’ll get through this, okay? And think about the countless people out there who need to hear what we have to say.”
I nod and force myself to relax, thinking about the conversation I had with Minjee last night. In the end, I switch to the acting part of my brain, because it’s easier to pretend I’m someone else who’s unafraid than to calm myself down.
Just because I’m scared, doesn’t mean the world has to know it , I remind myself.
When we get to the TV station, the producer greets us with a firm nod. “This way. They’re ready for you.”
Both Ms. Ahn and Mr. Baek join us then, and the six of us enter the conference room. Cameras start flashing almost instantly. Reporters excitedly chatter among themselves or yell questions directly at us.
“Don’t answer any of them,” Sophia hisses. “Ignore them for now and just go up to the stage. We’ll do a Q and A later, so don’t let any of them interrupt your statement.”
She takes the lead, with us following her and the other two managers protecting our backs as we step onto the stage. Three chairs wait for us in that wide-open space, with bottles of water placed thoughtfully on the seats.
Sophia waits for us to sit down before looking out at the sea of reporters.
Ever the face of bravery, she fiercely meets their gazes and says, “Everyone, hello, my name is Sophia Min. I’m Hana’s manager.
I would like to ask all of you to please not misconstrue anything that is said today.
If you spread false information, I and the other managers present today will press charges.
Also, please remember that the statement is a reflection of the teens’ own personal beliefs and interests and not their companies’ nor the studio’s. Thank you.”
When she’s done addressing the reporters, Sophia comes over to give us each a mic.
“Best of luck,” she tells us before leaving the stage to join the other managers sitting at the front of the audience.
We agreed that Bryan and I should have most of the limelight, since our fake-dating scheme is what started this whole mess in the first place. It also seems like the best way to protect Minjee, since she’s already dealing with a lot from her family.
So I’m the first to bring the mic up to speak.
As I look out at the crowd, I’m hit by an overwhelming desire to stand up for myself and my friends. Even though it may not be what people expect me to do, I can’t just passively accept things for the way they are now. I’m not going to just sit there and let decisions be made for me.
“Good morning,” I say, speaking slowly so my Korean comes out clearly and coherently. “We’re here today to publicly address the suspension of Fated Destiny . Bryan, Minjee, and I have a lot to tell you all about, so please save your questions for the end.”
The camera flashes intensify, and there are more shouts from the reporters.
I press on, clutching the side of my chair with my free hand.
“First of all, Bryan and I never dated in real life. We were pressured by the adults in the industry to enter into a fake relationship for public attention. We’re good friends but nothing more than that. ”
There’s an uproar from the reporters. Several people shout, “Bryan! What do you have to say to that?” and “Is this true, Bryan?”
Bryan picks up his mic and says, “Yes. I apologize to all my fans, but my relationship with Hana wasn’t real. Honestly, the only real relationship I have is the one I have with the Brybabies, who will always be number one in my heart.”
He flashes everyone a brilliant smile and makes a heart with his thumb and forefinger. Bryan’s stereotypically K-pop prince response makes me want to throw up a little, but I also feel an urge to laugh. And I would have, too, if our current situation weren’t so serious.
I glance back at Minjee for one last time before I say the next part. She nods.
“And that’s not the only thing we kept from all of you,” I say. “The reason why Fated Destiny was temporarily suspended is because it was recently discovered by a higher-up at our company that I am in a relationship with my costar Park Minjee.”
If I thought people were upset about Bryan and me, it’s nothing compared to how loud and chaotic the room is now. So many voices yell at once that I can’t hear myself think.
“He had us followed,” I continue, practically shouting to be heard, “by a private investigator and threatened to cease production of the show and cancel it outright if Minjee and I didn’t break up. We’re just two kids in love! Why should it matter so much if we’re both girls?”
I bow, deeply and more sincerely than I ever have in my entire life.
“I apologize to everyone for not being honest. But we were all afraid to tell the truth.” I look straight into one of the main news cameras, thinking of the viewers back home.
My parents are probably watching right now, with Mom tightly clutching Dad’s hand and Dad biting his lip.
I gather strength from the fact that they’re probably listening to every word I’m saying as I continue.
“I know Korean society is different from how things are like in the US. And I understand if you think how I live my life is wrong. But I kept this secret about who I am for so long, even to my parents, who are the most important people in my life. And I know there are countless other teens out there who have a secret like me, too. So I can’t just sit here and be quiet anymore. ”
I finally look at Minjee again. She doesn’t say anything, but the tears in her eyes are more than enough.
“Times are changing. In a recent study, around forty-four percent of Koreans said queer people should be accepted by society. Of those, over three-quarters of young people said they supported us, even though most of the older population didn’t.
” I look straight into one of the cameras.
“So please, support your queer friends and family. And if you’re queer, love yourself.
Please don’t subscribe to outdated values.
Young people like you and me can make a difference.
We need to stand up for what we think is right. ”
To my surprise, there are a few claps from the audience, which is more support than I expected.
When it’s quiet again, Minjee and Bryan come in after me, reiterating what I said and adding their own personal details about what happened.
When we’re done, almost every reporter in the room raises their hand to ask follow-up questions.
We answer a couple, but then our managers step up to the stage and end the conference.
Sophia gives me a quick hug before ushering me off the stage.
“You did great,” she whispers in my ear. “Now let me handle the rest.”
I nod and leave the stage with Minjee and Bryan. The conference went better than I expected, but only when Minjee and I hug in the hallway outside the conference room do I feel like I can breathe again.