DISCLAIMER: The following is a work of fiction. The events and characters are fictional and the characters were merely borrowed and do not represent the drama or real life. No offense is intended towards anyone as this story is purely fictional.
"Hey, watch out!"
Shout someone from the back before I realize that there is a cyclist behind me who wanted to pass by with his bicycle. Thankfully my footsteps are quick enough, as I manage to move outside the park pedestrian walkway to give way to the cyclist.
"Next time, don't walk in the middle of the park pavement like this. You are hogging the road!" say the cyclist before he zoomed away passing beside me with his flashy neon green bicycle.
"Sorry!" I apologize at the cyclist even though he probably wouldn't hear it, as his bicycle is moving further and further away from me.
Stepping back on the park's pavement, I resumed my night stroll, but now I walk on the left side of the road, so I wouldn't risk myself on getting hit by another bicycle.
Tonight, the sky is so dark that I can't even see a glimpse of anything. Even the moon goes into hiding. Initially, I thought of star gazing today, but unfortunately there is nothing to see tonight.
Better luck next time, Jang Ha Na.
A sudden strong wind that blows out of nowhere halted my step, again.
Oh my God, now the weather is getting colder and colder. This made me question back my decision to take a night stroll earlier on.
Like seriously, why did I bother to go out when I clearly know that the weather's is super cold during the night.
Ha Na, you really like to torture yourself, don't you?
I looked down at my unruly hair.
Messy.
And my nearly chest length hair is a mess thanks to that strong breeze.
Need to tie this damned hair now.
While both hands busily fishing out my hair tie from my oversized brown Parka, my gazed landed on a guy in a dark grey thick jacket, who is currently lounging on the park bench nearby.
A deja-vu like feeling suddenly crept up on me and without realizing I actually stared at the guy's face for quite some time.
And the barking sound from a distance eventually makes me came back into reality.
"Goodness! This is not the time for you to ogle at some stranger's face, no matter how good looking that person is," I lectured myself.
Unfortunately, it seems that my voice is loud enough as I notice the guy in that grey jacket who is previously leaning over the park bench and closing his eyes (probably taking a short nap), suddenly opened his eyes and started to look around his surroundings.
"Is anyone there?"
Panicked, I quickly run and hide myself by squatting down behind the nearest shrub that I manage to find.
Please God, don't let him find me.
Please.
A dark black shadow suddenly looms over me.
R'oh.
Tiptoeing, I turn my body slowly while squatting.
A pair black expensive leather shoes is now standing in front of me.
"Do you think you are so small that you can hide behind this ridiculously tiny shrub? Heck, I even can see you clearly from a distance, especially when you have that kind of auburn coloured hair," say the guy as he pointing out on my (messy) auburn hair.
Without saying anything, I quickly stand up on my feet and shrug off the snow on the plastered on the back of my Parka.
"Do you have any intention to do bad things on me?" Accused the guy who is currently standing square shouldered in front of me.
I glanced up to see his face.
And man, I basically need to tilt upward my head to see him eye to eye. Good gracious, he is so tall.
And compared with his height, people can simply call me a midget if they see me standing beside what did his parents give to him all these years, to enable him to grow so tall like this?
'Hey Jang Ha Na, get a grip! The guy is accusing you on doing bad thing to him and you have the time to contemplate about his height?' I mentally curse myself.
"No! Why did I want to do that?" I say sharply.
"Then why you are hiding like this if you are not doing anything wrong?" ask the guy warily as he fold his arms across his chest.
"I.. I... Aish, why should I be explaining them to you?" I ask him hotly.
"Perhaps… are you actually following me?"
I roll my eyes as I don't believe the things I'm hearing right now.
"Following you? For what?"
My right eye brow rise as I ask him.
"Yes, following me. You know, the thing that die-hard admirer always do when they like someone. Like those obsessed stalker-ish celebrity fans. What is it that people used to call them? Sasaeng. Yes, sasaeng fans,"
And he gives me the most annoying smirk that I ever see.
Seriously, if I'm impatient enough, I might actually give the guy a tight-slap on that clean shaven face. Somehow, that thought right now is seriously tempting.
"Sasae.. What? HEY!"
My face feel very hot right now. What an odious man! How dare he think that I am one of his stalker fans?
"You.."
The sound of a phone ringing stops my words from continuing.
Man, what a good timing the phone choose to ring.
The guy quickly takes out his phone from his jacket pocket before answering it.
"Yes… So you already called her and tell about that dream? Then what did she say about it? No, no, I'm heading back to the car now."
And while ignoring me, who now simply looked like an idiot staring at his face, the guy just turn his back around and swiftly moves away from me.
"What a jerk! Accused me stalker, then just walk away like that. Geez. Did he think he is that good-looking?"
I tsk-ed before continue muttering to myself.
"Goodness. Those so-called admirers who like him must be bunch of crazy people."
The alarm bell clock that rings annoyingly loud woke me up from my sleep.
I hit the snooze button and lazily that a glance on the clock.
9.30am.
I blink rapidly, clearly shock with the first thing I saw in the morning.
9.30!
GOODNESS! I'M LATE! I'M SUPER LATE!
Throwing the clock back on the nightstand, I quickly rise up and hastily pick up my floral design towel that I drape over my working chair before running madly into the bathroom.
Half an hour later…
"Wonderland Theme Park, please," I say as I close the taxi door.
Catching my breath, I quickly pull out my BB cream tube, compact powder and coloured lip-balm from my black medium sized backpack.
Seriously, I am so late today that I didn't even manage to put on my make up at home like I use to do. Unfortunately enough, I even missed my bus earlier (the bus just left the time I arrive at the bus stop) and that's why I end up taking the taxi to work.
My first day of work and I am late.
Great, so great.
Few days back, I came back to Seoul after spending five years overseas. And during this past five year, I've actually been working with the Cirque du Soleil circus team, touring around the world performing from one city to another city.
And will you be shocked if I tell you that I'm a very good in doing trapeze and tightrope walking stunts?
Believe it or not, I am exceptionally good on both stunts but then, while working with the circus troupe, my work is more on the backstage preparation of the performance, like assisting in the flow of the performance, costume details and props preparation. So you can say that my five years' experience overseas actually prepared me for my new position in Wonderland.
Yes, I'm Jang Ha Na. And I am the new ringmaster for the WonderCircus team at Wonderland.
As I put all my make-up stuff back on my backpack pocket, I stare outside the taxi window.
Wow, never thought that Seoul city has changed this much since the last time I was here. There are new buildings everywhere and the city is not quite the same as I remembered. It even feels like I am foreigner who travelled to another country.
The taxi somehow stopped as the car reaches a red traffic light. And the billboard hanging besides one of the shopping mall building just captured my attention.
'The fantastical world of Wonderland welcomes you,' is what written on the board.
Unconsciously, a smile automatically drawn on my lips.
"Father, I'm finally home," I whisper softly.
When I finally arrive at Wonderland, I was kind of surprised seeing how empty the outdoor park now.
Where is everyone? I don't think the park is closed today, I ask silently in my head as I slowly walk passing the big Viking ride.
And thinking that today is Saturday, a weekend day; it is so weird to see that the theme park is somewhat vacant like this.
Few minutes later, after walking passing the carrousel and the Ferris wheel, I see a large crowd of people standing and looking on something in front of them.
And that's when I see that familiar creature.
"BING BING!" I wave both of my hands and called its name.
Hearing his name was called; the 6ft male gorilla abruptly turns around and looked at me before he started running towards me with all his might.
"BING BING!" I scream excitedly, calling the gorilla. Gasping sound from people on the crowd clearly can be heard when Bing Bing came to me before he suddenly circling around me happily.
"Bing Bing, I'm so happy to see you!"
I am talking with the SBC reporter who had interviewed me earlier regarding Bing Bing's escaping incident, when suddenly a 40 year old-looking ahjusshi with slightly curly hair interrupts our conversation.
"Miss Jang Ha Na?"
Hearing the guy calling my name, I immediately turn around to see his face.
"Yes?"
"Will you please come with us right now?"
"Why?"
"Goo-sangmunim (Director Goo) wants to see you," say the ahjusshi.
"Goo-sangmu? Who's that? I actually wanted to finish talking with the reporter first. Later, I'll go and meet that director,"
"You can speak to our Director instead. He's the person in charge of Wonderland," said the curly-haired ahjusshi rather firmly.
And because of that I am taken to the 10th floor of the Wonderland main headquarters office building.
Secretary Kwon or the curly-haired ahjusshi who earlier introduced himself as the director assistant knocked on the director's office door before seconds later; both of us were instructed to come inside the office.
From a distance, I see a tall guy in a crisp white tailor made long-sleeved shirt, putting something inside his trousers pocket.
Ah, probably that guy is the director. I better give him proper greeting now.
"Hello, my name is Jang Ha Na, the newly appointed ringmaster of Wonder Circus. I'm also the daughter of the late ringmaster, Jang Pil Sung,"
Seeing the guy doesn't respond anything and just walk towards me, I continue my words.
"You must've been quite shocked earlier. I'm sorry that Bing Bing has caused such scene earlier on. And I also wanted to apologize because I'm quite l.."
Suddenly he grabs both of my arms and pulls me towards his body.
"What..what are you doing?" I ask as I try to remove his firm grips on my arms.
"Why are you being like this?" Again, he now pulls me closer that even our nose nearly touches.
And my betraying heart suddenly beats like crazy when I stare back at the dark chocolate eyes who are staring intensely at my eyes.
Gosh, not now dear heart. Not now.
"Let go of me,"
But he still doesn't let go of his tight grip.
Is this guy deaf or what? Or did he unable to comprehend simple language?
"That's what I thought,"
"I say, let go of me," I say a little bit louder.
Then, before giving any sign, the guy release me from his grip and just muttering nonsense things that I even don't understand.
"Pulse is normal, temperature is normal and breathing is also normal,"
"What did you say?"
Ignoring me, the guy just continues muttering to himself while going back to his large workdesk.
"My blood pressure is a little high, but that's understandable though since this situation is quite annoying,"
What the hell is wrong with this guy?
"Look.."
"You can leave," say the guy as he sits back on his chair.
He asked me to what?
"Excuse me? You are asking me to leave now? "
He nods.
"Then why you asked to see me?"
I stare at the director's face for a couple of second that before suddenly I remembered something.
Goodness, this guy is the jerk I actually met last night at the park.
How unlucky is that?
"You! The guy from last night. At the park," Without thinking I blurted that thought out.
The director stare at me weirdly like I am some kind of three headed alien before he slowly smirked. Yes, that same annoying smirk he gave to me last night.
"Ah, the red-head stalker. No wonder you look so familiar,"
"I AM NOT A STALKER!"
"Okay, if you say so," say the director rather nonchalantly.
Taking few breaths to calm myself, I manage to compose myself back and continue talking.
"Stalker aside, I thought you want to me to talk about the gorilla,"
"Gorilla? Ah, I planned on talking to you regarding that matter myself,"
"My circus troupe.."
"Your circus troupe is fired,"
Am I hearing things wrongly? Fired? What nonsense is that? Somehow without realizing, I actually move forward that now I'm actually face to face with the director. And the only thing that become the barrier between me and him is his workdesk.
"Excuse me?"
"Our contract has been terminated," say the director coolly.
"What do you mean by terminated? If this is about what happened earlier, then Wonderland is also responsible,"
And like always, before I manage to finish what I want to say, he cuts my words.
"Yes, we're partly responsible for it,"
Seriously, now I am enraged.
"Then why are you kicking us out? The terms of our contract aren't over yet,"
"I know. Later, my legal team will pay the cancellation fee, so you can take that and leave,"
"But I'm asking why you want us out,"
Again, the director looked at me, as if I'm asking something that even elementary school kid can answer.
"The performance is boring and the parade is lousy. Are you aware that the ticket sales are also bad? It would be better for us to pay the fee and send you guys out of here," said the director before he push the intercom button and give an order to his secretary outside.
"My guest is leaving,"
I push back the intercom button.
"No, the guest is not leaving," I say firmly.
Taken aback seeing how uncooperative I can be the director look at me disbelievingly.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"What is it that you think you're doing?" I ask back.
"What?"
"Look here," I take a glimpse on the black name plague that was placed on the director's workdesk before continuing.
"Director Goo Seo Jin. Wonder Circus is a part of Wonderland's history and its identity. We got our start alongside Wonderland back in 1975. You should know that my father and his circus had a huge role in helping Wonderland become the successful place that it is today,"
Feeling short of breath I stop my long lecture before resuming.
"But what are you saying to me? It's lousy? Lousy? The words you just said take them back right now," I said while pointing my index finger on him. I know it's kinda rude to talk to people while pointing my fingers like that, but the hell I cared about propriety right now.
"Okay, I take them back right now, so can you just leave now," Unfazed, the director asked me to leave.
This heartless guy.
"What? Then take back what you said about the parade being lousy, too,"
While being clearly annoyed, Goo Seo Jin just nods his head in acceptance.
"Okay, I take back those words, too. I take back everything I said except for terminating the contract. So please leave,"
Goodness, how come this guy is so hard to persuade?
You need to try harder, Jang Ha Na. For the sake of WonderCircus.
"I know that our circus troupe isn't up to the current trend and standards. But I'm going to change it. As you can see from my resume, I came from the Cirque du Soleil background. And even can do circus performance for WonderCircus if I need to. Give me a chance and I will reformat everything and update our performance,"
He then nods like he understand and agree with everything that I'm saying.
"Sounds like it'll be a nice performance. Go ahead and do whatever changes you want. But do it elsewhere, not in Wonderland," In a no-nonsense manner he simply say that to me.
My patience is already nearly come to its limits.
"Look here, Director Goo Seo Jin. How can a person be so selfish and make such a sudden decision like this?" I ask angrily.
"I can do what I want because I have the power. Now, get the hell out from here,"
"How was your meeting with the director, Ha Na?" ask Hee Bong when all of the administrative circus staffs gathered around for an emergency meeting, right after I came back seeing the director.
"It's not good. But don't worry, I'll figure something out," I give a reassuring smile to all of them. But only God knows how terrified I am not, thinking about the hazy future our circus troupe.
"Jin Joo noona, why don't you show the video that you recorded earlier," say Eun Chang, the junior admin staff to Jin Joo, the wardrobe stylist who is sitting next to him.
"What video?" I ask curiously, unaware of what kind of video that has been recorded by Jin Joo.
"It's a video on how sangmunim acted rather inhumanely towards a girl during this morning incident," say JinJoo before she take out her smartphone from her jeans pocket.
"Let me see it,"
I ended up coming back to Director Goo's office by lunch, while bringing Jin Joo's smartphone with me. I don't want to resort into blackmailing the young director, but what choices I have? The welfare of WonderCircus employees is my topmost priority now. And I need to do everything; I mean anything to ensure that I can protect their job.
"What's your impression of it?" I ask him Goo Seo Jin after I see him finished watching the video.
"I had no idea...that it had been to this extent. I had no idea that I acted like this,"
Surprisingly enough, the director seems a bit remorseful after seeing the video. His face paled and I can see few drops of sweat on his forehead. Cold sweat?
And somehow I felt a bit bad seeing him like that.
"Well..."
"I was truly pathetic,"
"Well, you were in shock, so it's understandable," I say that trying to comfort his feelings.
"Let's extend the contract,"
"Oh?"
Now I'm shocked. Never thought that he'll agree to extend the contract this easily.
He then via intercom asked his secretary to bring the new WonderCircus contract to him.
"Let me...be alone for a little bit,"
"Excuse me?"
"Sure. But then, that phone. I need the phone back,"
"How could I be such a piece of trash?"
I sighed.
Now I felt really bad showing that video to him.
"There's no need to compare yourself to trash. That phone…"
"Just let me… let me be alone for a while. And I'll ask someone to return the phone later,"
"Really? He's really going to extend our contract?" ask Jin Joo while munching the fruit salad she prepared earlier for lunch.
I sip the carbonated orange juice from the can before answering.
"Yes. But I told him that we'll revamp our show and show him a wonderful performance,"
"He's not the type of person to be so easily persuaded. Did you threaten him with the video?" Ask Jin Joo warily.
My right hand that is currently holding a pair of chopsticks stops mid-air, when I hear Jin Joo say that. Quickly I turn my head and looked at her.
"What do you mean, threaten? I just used the video clip to leave an impression on him,"
Upon hearing my answered, Jin Joo just chuckled.
"Leave an impression? That man is a sociopath. He has no feelings. I heard from his own secretaries that they've never once seen him smile nor have they ever seen him feel bad about anything,"
Goo Seo Jin the director is a sociopath?
Seriously?
But he doesn't look like one. But then, I never know a sociopath before, so I cannot be that sure.
"Come on, he was close to tears when I showed him the video. Let's have some faith, okay?" I smile before both of us continue enjoying our lunch in silence.
"You know what, unnie, I think he was shocked to see his own behavior. He had this shocked expression on his face and tears were welling up in his eyes. He was in the verge of tears. And somehow I did start feeling a little bad for him," I randomly say that while taking my last bite of my jajangmyeon.
"Who? Director Goo?"
Nod.
"That guy is a jerk but he's really handsome up close, isn't he?"
Handsome? Not wanting to comment on this issue, I try to change the topic of our conversation to something else.
"Unnie, what's this about him being a sociopath? Is that really what the rumors say?"
But then, Jin Joo still wants to talk about that good-for-nothing director.
"He's good looking, isn't he?" ask Jin Joo while flashing a smile at me. You know the kind of smile people flashed when they are clearly smitten with someone.
"That's not what important right now, unnie. And hey, what were you even focusing on when you took that video?"
Jin Joo snorted a laugh when I asked that question to her.
Weird.
"Well, I didn't get a close look at his face, but I got a good look at his butt. His totally sexy butt,"
Seriously, this unnie.
"Who cares if he has a totally sexy butt? It's not like it's my butt," I say dully, clearly uninterested with the way this conversation are heading to.
"You know what, Ha Na? I know a thing or two about men like him. And guys like that act cold because they have a lot of scars. Abrasive and cold. That's just their own self-defense mechanism. Like... the thorns on a rose. But when a guy like that meets the right girl, then he becomes the sweetest and the most passionate kind of man,"
Sweet and passionate kind of man?
I nearly spurt my orange juice when I hear Jin Joo's words.
"Passionate? Yeah right. Who's going to believe that?"
"I hope our Dae-Pal meets the right girl soon,"
"Dae-Pal?"
Noticing that I was clearly confused with that name, Jin Joo immediately clarifies the issue.
"That's Director Goo's nickname,"
Nickname?
"Why is his nickname, 'Dae-Pal'?" I ask curiously before sipping the already half-empty can.
"It's because of his 2:8 parted hairstyle, we called him Dae-pal,"
Can't hold myself from feeling amused, I eventually laughed. And ended up making a mess on the table.
An orange juice mess.
I am super furious right now.
How come a person can change his mind easily, like he is turning the light switch on and off? Previously said this, later on said another thing.
And that man never failed to exasperates me, seriously.
Twenty minutes earlier, when I was in a meeting with the circus team, suddenly I was notified by a guy from Wonderland Legal department that the circus contact is terminated and all of us need to evacuate the space as soon as possible.
When I asked him who is the person in-charge that blatantly gives out that lousy order, the guy just simply said it was Director Goo.
As I getting nearer to the entrance of Wonderland main building, I see Goo Seo Jin with bunch of his bodyguard walking out from the building. I try to go near him but I am obstructed by one of his guards.
Without thinking rationally, I end up jumping inf ront of his Mercerdez-Bent, trying to stop him from going anywhere. Thank God, his driver manage to stop the car in time, if not soon I'll be heading to the hospital instead rather than talking with the annoying jerk.
"Get in the car," said the pesky guy from the back sit of his car.
I just stare at him sceptically.
"Get in the car now, so we can talk," He ordered again.
I move towards the car and nearly opened the back door, when the car just simply drives over, leaving me alone looking like a total helpless idiot.
The taxi that chases Goo Seo Jin's Mercedes-benz came to a halt in-front of the Hankyeol Research University Hospital. Paying the taxi fare quickly to the drive, I immediately went out and walk towards the insufferable jerk.
"You and I need to talk. Now,"
And again, like half-an hour earlier, his bodyguard slash driver prevented me from getting near to him.
I sighed.
Geez, when is the time I see the guy peacefully without the intrusion of his guards.
"You can't go in there," say the idol-like looking bodyguard while Goo Seo Jin, that jerk, manage to walk freely into the hospital building entrance.
"Is this his property or something?" I ask rather annoyingly at the guard.
"Yes, this place belongs to Director Goo. Because this is the Wonder Group Hospital Foundation. Please leave now,"
I turned my back on the guard and just smirked.
"Okay, fine. I won't step a single foot on your property. But heck, you have picked the wrong girl to mess with,"
[to be continued...]
WRITER'S NOTE:
- In this fan-fic, the reason why Goo Seo Jin end up visiting the park during the night is because he wanted to get some fresh air and calm himself after getting the ominous feeling dream (the chandelier dropping, Robin saving Hana dream). Not like in the drama, he got this dream while sleeping in his car on the way back to his house from Wonderland office. And because of the dream, he asked Team Leader Sung to drive to the nearest park, so that he can go there and take a night stroll.
© [MinQi] 2015. All rights reserved. Distribution of any kind is prohibited without the written consent of MinQi