"You okay 'Mi Nam?" asked Jin Woo curiously. "You got this look on your face that says 'I want to die!'"
"Oi, shut your mouth. You're such a bother, Jin Woo," mumbled Seong Jae.
Seong Jae sat up front in the driver's seat, acting as the designated driver for the evening, while Jong Min sat in the passenger seat beside him. Go Mi Nam was currently seated in the backseat of the vehicle, right beside Jin Woo. who on occasion peered over at her curiously as if she were some kind of peculiar creature. Most of the time when she caught Jin Woo looking her way, she thought something was on her face. It was only after Seong Jae pointed out that Jin Woo was––in his exact words––an 'invader of space' that she realized it was nothing wrong with her. But she understood what Seong Jae meant when he labeled Jin Woo as someone who invaded the personal space of another. Strangely enough, though, it didn't make her uncomfortable at all. She thought it was a little cute that Jin Woo was a curious person.
"Jong Min, next time you sit back there with the idiot. Go Mi Nam is being pestered," mumbled Seong Jae, loud enough for all three of them to hear.
Suddenly, Go Mi Nam watched and flinched as Jin Woo gave a kick to the back of the driver's seat. A few seconds after, she heard Seong Jae grumble in what sounded like annoyance."Watch yourself.."
"What? Is that a threat of some kind?" pressed Jin Woo with a large grin on his features. He stuck out his tongue. "You can't do anything."
"Well, unlike idiotic people like you, I know I am responsible for all of you at the moment. Only an idiot endangers people by letting their anger get to them. You're that kind of idiot, Jin Woo. You really are. But don't worry.." Seong Jae flashed him a fake smile through the mirror so Jin Woo could see. "I'll make sure you'll get what's coming to you."
"Ya! Is that another threat? You dare to threaten me? I can kick you out of the band, ya know that right?" reminded Jin Woo, scoffing right afterwards.
"Actually, you can't; 'ya know that right'?" Seong Jae retorted before mocking his fellow band member.
Jong Min, who had been silent for most of the ride, turned in his seat to make eye contact with Go Mi Nam. A tiny smile formed on his lips. "Don't pay any mind to these two.. They're not normally this crazy. I think they're just excited you're here with us." Jong Min then turned away and sat normally in his seat, continuing on, "I don't know if you've heard, but we're looking for another member. Well, actually...our manager is. There's a lot of competition in the music industry.."
Go Mi Nam's curiosity spiked up as Jong Min's voice trailed off. He almost sounded sad with his low tone of voice. A part of her wanted to ask the reason behind his sudden change in mood, but held back; simply because she knew it wasn't her place to be asking such personal questions. Still, as she glanced over at Jin Woo and Seong Jae––expecting them to be concerned at the least––Mi Nam realized that both appeared to be relaxed and without any concern whatsoever. She blinked slowly, eyeing Jin Woo who didn't seem to realize his fellow friend's sadness.
"..And that got our Jin Woo interested in the idea of another band member," Jong Min concluded, clearing his throat. "Except, this time he's looking for a female idol to invite."
"Really?" Go Mi Nam tilted her head as her eyes widened a little bit. "A female idol? Why's that?"
"Well.. Hmmmm, how can I put this simply?" mumbled Jin Woo as he peered out the window of the car. "I think it's just that I want to change our style.. Incorporate a new voice that will blend well and make it feel natural. But I also want a distinct voice that will grab the attention of not just our audience, but everyone else too.." After a few seconds, he glanced back over at Mi Nam and grinned wide. "A female voice, for example. Or an idol with a voice that can reach a different level than ours."
"Why do you think he admires your voice so much, Mi Nam?" questioned Jong Min. "Your voice.. It's a well known and distinct voice. Anjell has long since accomplished what we've been aiming for."
"I know right?! It's no wonder they're at the top.." whined Jin Woo as he slouched in the car seat. "One day we'll be there.." Slowly, he turned his head to Go Mi Nam. "We're competitors, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends. So, I won't let there be any harsh feelings between us. But promise you'll do the same...kay?"
"I.." Go Mi Nam was at a loss of words. It appeared that Jin Woo really treasured their friendship, despite just meeting that day, only hours earlier. Instead of questioning it any longer, she just smiled and nodded her head in confirmation. "I promise. I won't let music get in the way.."
"Great!" Jin Woo's eyes brightened up at her words and almost immediately he sat upright. "How much further, Seong Jae?"
"We're here," Seong Jae confirmed, pulling over in a nearby street.
"So why're you parking over here?" mumbled Jin Woo, peering over at Seong Jae with a puzzled expression.
"Don't be stupid.." Seong Jae rolled down his window and pointed over at Anjell's dorm that was a street away. "Are you blind? There are a crowd of reporters over there.. Say, Mi Nam, what happened?"
"Ah.." Go Mi Nam covered her face with both hands, having completely forgotten about the incident with the interview earlier. "I..I.." She couldn't even bring herself to tell them; or rather, what could she tell them? That she completely messed up an interview with the National Fairy by not remembering the important details of a recent accident? If anything, that sounded fishy in itself and it would definitely create suspicion.
"It's okay," murmured Jong Min. "You don't have to answer. I already know."
"Wh––what?" Go Mi Nam's breathing hitched at his comment and she was left startled. Her features scrunched up in both confusion and concern and her heart began to beat faster, faster, and faster by the second.
I've been found out…!
Perhaps she had been too obvious from the very beginning. Oh, how could she believe that she could pull this charade another time around––especially since she almost failed the first time! It was clear from the beginning that this was never going to work and Go Mi Nyu had been wrong to take on such a huge mission. Now, this mission to protect her brother had become a heavy burden on her small and weak shoulders. Tears had almost threatened to fall due to her failure when suddenly Jong Min went on.
"We bumped into each other earlier, remember? Running from the reporters?" Jong Min said, tapping the side of Seong Jae's head. "Don't give me that suspicious look."
He was referring to our first meeting..
A silent breath of relief came from Go Mi Nam as she blinked away the tears that had formed. She was worried that she had failed already. Luckily, that wasn't the case...this time. But Go Mi Nam had to remember to be more careful to keep up her disguise as her brother. Otherwise, she would be bringing down the careers of the people she cared most about.
Tae Kyung.. Jeremy.. Shin Woo.. I don't want to fail them..
Suddenly, Jin Woo's loud voice interrupted her worrisome thoughts: "Well, are we gonna head out now?"
"In a moment. Come on everyone, get out––and do so quietly!" Seong Jae commanded.
Obeying, Go Mi Nam exited the vehicle, keeping her back towards the crowd of reporters down the street. She crossed her arms over her chest, feeling her stomach twist and turn. A part of her wanted to know desperately what exactly these reporters had written in their reports. And without her cellphone, she couldn't exactly check any news sites. Another part of her, on the other hand, didn't want to see what rumors had begun to spread because of her foolishness. She was afraid what lies would unfold.
"Here, put this on." Jong Min handed her a purple sweater that was clearly too large for her tiny body. As she peered up at him, she realized he had also changed into a sweater himself. It was a red sweater, not too bright, nor too dark. Almost the perfect shade. "It's just to disguise you, so don't worry."
Taking the sweater carefully, she glanced over at Seong Jae who reached into the vehicle trunk once more. He pulled out two sweaters, passing one to Jin Woo and keeping the other for himself. Jin Woo began pulling on his blue sweater, while Seong Jae put on his green one. Hesitantly, she pulled on the purple sweater, being right in the fact that the sweater was far too big for her small and tiny size. The length of the sleeves fell inches past the tips of her fingers and the cloth itself covered more than her torso.
"Ooh, purple looks good on you, Mi Nam!" exclaimed Jin Woo, before getting smacked upside the head by Seong Jae. "Owwww…!"
"What don't you understand about being quiet, moron?" scowled Seong Jae irritably. "You're going to get all of us caught.."
"Right, right.. I'll be more careful," promised Jin Woo with a tiny and innocent smile. "But isn't that a comfy sweater, Mi Nam? It's Dae Hwan's favorite sweater!"
"Dae Hwan.. Isn't that.." she began slowly, blinking several times. "Isn't he in your group?"
By now, all the boys had decided to pull up their hoodies to hide their faces. Mi Nam did the same. "Yup! But don't worry, we won't tell him you wore his sweater. If he found out, he'd throw a fit!" Jin Woo's sweet and innocent smile turned into a mischievous one.
Obviously confused by that comment, Seong Jae took his turn to clear up any misunderstandings. "Dae Hwan.. He's a bit possessive. But it's best you don't ask why." Despite being very open and friendly to Go Mi Nam, Seong Jae spoke more firmly and seriously. His smile had long since faded away, but before Mi Nam could say anything further, he turned towards the direction Anjell's dormitory was at. "So tell us, how can we sneak you in?"
"Ah.." Go Mi Nam nodded, and gestured for the boys to follow her. "I know a way around. No one thinks of going around there." She started off by jogging over to the other side of the street. "We'll have to go the long way.."
"How come no one thinks of coming this way?" mumbled Jin Woo, following directly behind her. "Is it that much of a secret."
"Well… it's not a secret, really. We used to have a backdoor, but we 'got rid of it' to prevent anyone from going that way. Well, we didn't really get rid of it.. It stills exists. It's just hiding behind a painting," explained Go Mi Nam. "It's not normally used for entry, though.. More like an extra exit to escape, or quick leave. And we don't want anyone to know about it because we want to avoid crowds when we're rushing somewhere."
"Ooh, is it safe to tell us then? I thought it was supposed to be a secret.." Jin Woo's question was right in a sense. It was supposed to be a secret.
"Well, this case is different. I trust you," she told him, leading them the long way around to the back. From behind, she could hear Jin Woo whisper an enthusiastic 'yes!'At the moment, she paid little mind to what she spoke; she was more concentrated on making her way quietly to the back entrance. However, a few more cautious steps towards the back entry, and suddenly she heard a voice behind her.
"Go Mi Nam?" an unrecognizable voice questioned. "Is that you, Go Mi Nam?"
"Ah.." Go Mi Nam froze in place, not bothering to answer back. If she did, she knew it wouldn't result in anything good.
Instead, the feminine voice went on. "What a surprise. It is you, isn't it? And who is this with you? Monstar, perhaps?"
Finally, after gaining the courage, she spun around to face the woman––dressed in formal attire––a couple feet away. In her hands was a notepad, and right behind her was a cameraman. At this moment, Go Mi Nam's hopes sunk. She was caught. But how?
"My name is Park Seo Yeon, reporter from Baek-Ji news, or as you may know, BaJi Daily. You're probably wondering how I unfoiled your little plan to sneak in through the back." With a false smile planted on her lips, the reporter took a few more steps towards her. "We arrived in time to see you exiting a vehicle, well known to be Monstar's. It's quite easy to figure out what's going on when you know all the facts. But it appears you were trying to avoid all the reporters, isn't that right? You don't want them to uncover the truth behind your suspicious behavior earlier. But I wonder.. Why are you meeting with Monstar––a strong competitor to Anjell? Is there something you want to admit to?"
"I.. This is nothing," responded Go Mi Nam, clenching her jaw. By now, Seong Jae, Jin Woo and Jong Min had all turned around to face the reporter.
"He's right, you're wrong!" Jin Woo insisted. "You're just trying to put him in a bad light!"
"Jin Woo, be quiet!" hissed Seong Jae quietly. "Don't do this."
"Oh? But am I wrong? Go Mi Nam, a well known member of Anjell, is meeting secretly with Monstar. I don't see Anjell anywhere else, and I'm certain if I asked questions about this to your fellow band members, they wouldn't know, right? Tell me, are you now joining a scandal to bring down Anjell?" questioned Seo Yeon.
"I.. It's not like that," responded Go Mi Nam weakly, unsure of how to answer or what to say. She could practically feel herself tremble at such accusations, but she was never a good liar. "I.."
"He's been preparing for future activities," interrupted a voice.
Lifting her gaze barely, Go Mi Nam was surprised to see Tae Kyung, Shin Woo, and Jeremy strolling past the reporter and approaching Go Mi Nam. He stood firmly beside her, making unwavering contact with the camera that was focused on them now.
"It's a secret from the public.. Or so it was supposed to be. But because of nosy reporters like you, our secret is out. Anjell has been meeting with Monstar to discuss future activities we both plan to participate in. Our collaboration will focus on recordings of these activities––all of which I will not discuss publicly, yet. But you can all rest assured that Go Mi Nam has simply been following our schedule." Tae Kyung's lips curved into a small smile––one that Go Mi Nam knew was fake. But he could fake one so well, despite it being forced. "These activities will begin as soon as the following week. So if you don't mind, we have more work to get to."
Gesturing for Anjell to follow him, Tae Kyung began to walk past the clearly agitated reporter. And as if on cue, Jeremy and Shin Woo waved to the cameras with warm and enthusiastic smiles of their own before following Tae Kyung. Directly behind them, Go Mi Nam and Monstar also followed. Finally, once they were a good distance away, Tae Kyung spun around to face everyone––Go Mi Nam specifically. His features no longer held a forced smile, but rather an irritated expression.
He's mad.. So very mad..
But he wouldn't yell at her in front of everyone else––right..?