Chapter 31
ARTICLES AND RECORDINGS FROM OUR PRESS conference hit the internet before it’s even officially over.
Overall, the responses are mixed, with more people supporting us than I thought they would.
But even those who don’t support our beliefs agree that it was wrong of Mr. Kim to have Minjee and me followed.
The studio releases a statement saying that they’re going to put Mr. Kim’s actions “under review.”
Even though Sophia suggested that I not check social media for the time being, I end up going on my phone anyway. The not knowing what people are saying bugs me so much that I can’t sleep. I log on to my accounts in the middle of the night.
The moment I do, I feel like I’m getting yelled at by millions of voices.
On Twitter, trolls meme the heck out of our show, posting screenshots with “alternative lines” and other content about how they can’t take the show seriously anymore because the love triangle is a sham.
In my Instagram comments, I see people either applauding Minjee and me or saying we should be ashamed of ourselves.
Homophobic haters spam me on Twitter and other social media, saying that I should “retire” from the industry.
People on opposing sides break into fights on various sites, with lots of insults and mean comments exchanged in between.
The silver lining in the midst of all this chaos is the countless DM requests I receive from closeted people in South Korea and other countries all over the world saying what an inspiration I am to them.
Although I have no idea how all of this will affect my own life yet, this alone is enough for me to know I made the right choice.
I expect the coverage of our conference to die down over the weekend, but the opposite happens.
International news outlets pick up our story and start reporting on it all over the world.
International LGBTQ+ activists and queer celebrities tell me they support me, and a lot of Hollywood people even say they’d be happy to work with me one day.
Even though the support doesn’t nullify the pain of the hurtful comments, I’m still grateful for whatever support I can get.
The following Monday, Bryan sends out a message in our group chat.
brYAN YOON: Sooo, I don’t know about you guys but things have been ROUGH. Luckily my fans seem to be taking it mostly well though. They seem happy I was single this whole time lol. Anyway, who’s down for some good food?
I don’t think I’ve ever been happier to hear from Bryan.
ME: YES PLEASE! What were you thinking?
PARK MINJEE: I’m down too
brYAN YOON: OK, I’m personally craving jjajangmyeon. We’ll probably have to get it delivered to someone’s place though cuz I don’t think it’s a good idea for any of us to be seen out in public right now.
I text my mom, who’s at work but instantly replies with the thumbs-up emoji when I ask if I can have friends over.
ME: You guys can come to my place!
brYAN YOON: Let’s go!!!!
PARK MINJEE:
That evening, Minjee and Bryan come over to my apartment. Bryan arrives first, and initially, I’m self-conscious about our slightly messy and smaller-than-average apartment. It’s been a while since I’ve been this acutely aware of the fact that he’s an internationally famous K-pop superstar.
But if Bryan thinks any less of me because of where I live, he doesn’t show it. Instead, he quickly makes himself at home, flopping down onto the couch like he owns the place.
I roll my eyes. Typical Bryan.
Any remaining thoughts I have of Bryan disappear when Minjee arrives. She’s wearing an avant-garde blue dress that has huge yet somehow still stylish ruffles around the collar. Along with her bold, vibrant makeup, she looks amazing . It’s so nice to see her dressed like her usual self again.
“Hi,” I say, giving her a hug.
“Hey.” She returns my hug, lingering a bit to squeeze my arm when we pull away. “How are you?”
I shrug. “I think we’ve all been better. But that’s why we’re here, right?”
“Yup!” Bryan cuts in. “And I’m starving , so let’s order some food already!”
Minjee and I both jump before bursting out laughing. For a few seconds, we really were in our own little world.
We end up ordering jjajangmyeon and jjamppong, along with sweet and sour pork.
Like pretty much all delivery in Korea, our food comes super fast.
After setting the food down on the dining room table, we open the containers. The black bean noodles and spicy seafood noodle soup smell amazing. My mouth instantly starts watering.
“Oh God,” says Minjee. “Okay, today is going to be my cheat day of the week.”
We used Bryan’s delivery app, so I ask, “How much do we owe you, Bryan?”
Bryan gives me a smug smile. “Don’t worry about it. Oppa’s got you covered.”
Minjee and I both give Bryan a death glare.
“I told you never to use oppa like that ever again!” I reply, just as Minjee says, “Wait, you’re older than us? You don’t look it.”
“Yup,” Bryan says. “I’m a year older than both of you. Although, if you really want me to, I can call you ‘Noonim.’”
“Noonim” is the really formal version of the word for “older sister” in Korean. Minjee shoots him a look that could break glass.
“No way!” Minjee says. “That makes me feel way too old. Unlike Hana, I’d be happy to call you Oppa.”
We all burst into laughter at that.
“Come on,” I say when we’ve calmed down. “Let’s dig in.”
The food is just as good as it smells, and it puts everyone in a good mood. By the time we finish eating, we’ve talked about all sorts of things from our different tastes in movies to our dreams about the future.
“I want to try directing one day,” Bryan says.
“Cone of silence, but that’s the real reason I took a break from NOVA.
Traveling around the world and performing for fans is fun and all, but I know a lot of that will go away when I get older.
And what will I have then? What if I go serve my time in the military and come back to no one knowing who I am? ”
I’ve always heard Korean male celebrities worry about the compulsory two-year military service, since it’s nearly impossible to get an exemption from that rule, no matter how famous you are.
Even BTS only managed to get their service requirements delayed.
In an industry that’s always rapidly changing and moving on to the next big thing, being away for two years is frightening.
“That’s a valid fear,” Minjee says. “Are you using this role as a way to break into the film industry?”
“Basically, yeah,” Bryan says. “I’ve always loved movies and TV shows.
After long training days and exhausting concerts, watching stuff is how I always wound down at night.
Don’t laugh, but I was also really inspired by Bong Joon Ho and how he made the world pay attention to Korean cinema by winning all those prestigious international awards.
I know a lot of people probably won’t take me seriously at first, especially since they only know me as a K-pop star. But maybe someday they will.”
Minjee and I give him encouraging nods.
“Also,” Bryan adds, “I’m honestly looking forward to getting out of K-pop in the next few years. It’d be nice to be able to date someone without being afraid of breaking a contract.”
I give him a sympathetic pat on the back.
“How about you, Hana?” Minjee asks me. “What’s your wildest dream?”
I look first at Minjee, and then at Bryan.
Part of me can’t help but feel self-conscious since the two of them, with their superstar lives, will probably think my “wildest dream” is pretty ordinary.
But then I remember where I’m from and what my parents do every day to help me live the life I want to live.
No matter how humble my beginnings, I’m not ashamed of them.
“I want to have a long career as an actress,” I say.
“Whether it be in blockbuster movies or more Korean dramas. Acting is the only thing I know I’m good at, and I love it a lot, too.
My parents sacrificed so much for us to just live in Korea after I got scouted.
I want to make their sacrifice worth it. ”
“That’s understandable,” Minjee replies.
Bryan also nods at what I said. I guess, as teen stars, every one of us comes from families that sacrificed something to help us get to where we are today.
By then, we’ve pretty much finished eating, and we’re picking at the few remaining scraps. I lean back in my chair in a content, incoming food coma state.
“How about you?” I ask Minjee, since she’s the only one of us who hasn’t shared anything.
She shrugs. “I honestly don’t know. I got into acting and modeling pretty early.
... My parents sort of pushed me into it as soon as I learned how to talk.
Don’t get me wrong, I love both things, but there’s still this.
.. voice in the back of my head telling me that I might only like these things because it’s all I’ve ever known.
I kind of just want to take some time off and travel a lot after I graduate from high school.
Or I might take a break from the industry and go to college. We’ll see.”
Minjee’s response surprises me, because I’d always thought that she has the perfect life, this dreamlike existence that I’d kill to have. But I guess what she said makes sense. Acting is something I chose for myself, while for Minjee, it’s something everyone expected her to do.
“Let’s hope all this Fated Destiny drama blows over so we can all get what we want,” Bryan remarks as he gets up to throw away the now empty food containers.
Minjee and I nod grimly. This evening had been so nice that for a brief moment, I almost forgot about all the drama. I didn’t even check my phone for the entire time we had dinner.
When I first started Fated Destiny , I only cared about the ratings and furthering my acting career. I didn’t expect to find friends in my costars, especially not friends who’d know things about me that only a handful of people do.
Somehow, regardless of everything that’s going on right now, my friends make the world feel like a less scary place.