Chapter 24: "Shirts" or "Skins"?

"Cut!" Echo Girl called out in a shrill, exasperated voice.

"Echo Girl!" Ho-jin Kim, the director of More Than Friends season 2, scolded as he lumbered onto the set, a pointed finger in the air. "I've told you this time and time again: you DO NOT get to call 'cut' on the set! That is MY job! My job alone!"

Zen thought Ho-jin Kim looked like he'd already had a day, but it was barely ten o'clock in the morning. Glancing around the set it was obvious the director wasn't the only one who'd had enough of Echo Girl's power antics today. Camera operators, grips, makeup stand-by artists, assistants, assistants to assistants were all standing around shaking their heads and looking tired. None of this seemed to bother Kyungju, who continued to press her point.

"Zen is not following proper director stage instructions," Echo Girl said, shooting the actor a piercing look with her ice blue eyes. "It says here," she said, pointing furiously at a page in the script. "It says here that 'Jae-joon grabs Ji-yoo's hand and pulls her around to face him'..."

"Yeah, and?" Zen said, hotly. "I did that… I thought the real problem here is that you forgot to say your line…" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a lot of other people on the set nod in agreement.

Echo Girl pressed her bright red lips into a thick line, pausing a moment before responding. "Well, I didn't say the line," she said at last, looking pointedly at Zen. "Because you didn't act with the proper feeling…"

"Aw, come on!" Zen said. "What's your line, then, Kyungju, because I bet you don't even know!"

Everyone on set waited for Echo Girl to respond. Zen briefly caught eyes with Lexi Ann, Seven's girlfriend, who was working undercover as Echo's Girl's assistant, and suppressed a smirk. Echo Girl gave Zen a stoney stare before flipping on her heel and turning her ire on the director.

"Ho-ji," Echo Girl said, sweetly. Ho-jin Kim rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. He was one of the top ten most respected directors in South Korean television and any pet name bestowed upon him from anyone would be considered disrespectful. The only reason Echo Girl was getting away with any of this, Zen thought with irritation, was because her father was CEO of Capital Industries. Although C&R Industries was bankrolling the production of More Than Friends, the show was being broadcast via the Korea Now Network, which was controlled by its parent company Capital Industries. Damn fucking privilege, Zen thought. Trumps it every time.

Zen sighed inwardly at his situation, wondering for only the maybe umpteenth time just today: was it all worth it? Sure, More Than Friends was the biggest, highest paying gig he'd had in his entire career. His fan base had grown triple fold since Season 1 alone, and he'd been getting more offers and callbacks for acting jobs than ever. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time he'd had to accept a straight-up modeling gig. He sighed. All of this was great, but it was also still so painful having to deal with Echo Girl.

"Ho-ji," Echo Girl was saying in that high sick saccharin voice of hers. "Don't you agree that Zen could put in a little more effort, a little more feeling into his role?" She scrunched up her lips. "I mean, I just don't get that he's feeling me, you know?"

Because I'm not, Zen thought, hotly. To keep himself from speaking out, he concentrated on tracing a scuff in the floor with the tip of his shoe. Damn Kyungju. There was no way he was going to let her egg him on, get him to engage in any of the kind of behavior that would deem him "difficult to work with" alongside her. It had happened to more than a few of Echo Girl's former co-stars. Just the other day, Zen saw Won Han, the actor who was cast as Echo Girl's love interest in her last musical, on the home shopping network touting aftershave.

The director Ho-jin Kim rubbed his temples with his thumb and forefinger, likely deep in thought and/or frustration. Finally he lifted his head with the look of an idea on his face. "I have a suggestion that I think will plus up the energy of this whole scene," he said.

"So you agree that Zen's acting is shit…" Echo Girl said, crossing her arms across her chest in satisfaction.

Ho-jin Kim waved her off. "I didn't say that, Kyungju," he said. Echo Girl made a pouty face at the use of her given name. Zen smirked. Nice one, Ho-jin, he thought. It was a good dis, but Zen doubted it would stop Echo Girl from using the pet name "Hoji" for the director any time soon.

"Zen," Ho-jin said, motioning him over. Damn, Zen thought irritably to himself. Why did he always have to be the one to have to bend in an Echo Girl crisis? He walked over to where Ho-jin was standing. Ho-jin was a short man, but he seemed even shorter standing next to Zen. Whenever he had to interact with the director like this, Zen had to fight a relentless urge to stoop.

"What is it, boss?" Zen said, trying to seem amiable.

"I know you're an agreeable man," Ho-jin Kim started. "I also know that you probably don't want to be here six days until Sunday shooting this one god-forsaken scene…"

"That's right, sir," Zen said.

"So I have an idea that will make everyone happy, especially our female viewers," Ho-jin said. Zen sighed. He could see where Kim was going with this.

"A simple thing…" Ho-jin said. "Just take off your shirt…" He whipped a finger in the air above his head, drawing an imaginary circle. "Take your shirt off for the scene, and everybody is happy."

Zen scratched the back of his neck. Usually he didn't mind taking off his clothes for a show. Heck, he knew he had a great body, a perfect body and, truth be told, he loved to show it off. He'd even been on stage fully nude before. What a rush that had been to see all those women - and yes, some of the men - drop their jaws with lust at the sight of him.

But today he hesitated. You see, just the other night, he and MC had gone to a tattoo parlor in Hongdae recommended by a friend and got the matching tattoos he'd designed, an infinity loop intertwined with two hearts. They both got them inked onto the left side of the chest, just above their hearts. MC's was perfectly arced on the curve of her left breast... God, Zen thought, trying to push the image out of his mind. All he needed right now was a fucking hard on.

Anyway, the problem was that Zen hadn't told anyone he'd gotten a tattoo yet - not his manager, not the director - not even Jaehee, who was probably going to hit the highest roof of all. Well, it looked like he didn't have much choice in the matter now. He was going to have to spill the beans.

"Um," Zen started. "You see, Mr. Kim, sir, the thing is…" Zen pulled down the collar of his shirt to show him. The fresh ink was visible under a clear bandage, as it wasn't even completely healed yet.

"A tattoo?" Ho-jin Kim said, his gruff eyebrows lifting with interest. "Fresh ink, eh? Nice design."

Zen was taken aback. Ho-jin Kim wasn't angry? Not even a little pissed? Wow, he even seemed, uh, to appreciate the work.
"Well, let's see what we can do," Ho-jin said, slapping Zen on the back. Then he raised his voice and called out to the rest of the room. "Can I see the writers in the writing room? And, everybody else, take five… or possibly more like fifteen."

Zen's jaw dropped in surprise and Lexi Ann caught his gaze, mouthing the words "What the fuck?" Zen just had time to shrug a response before Echo Girl was in his face.

"What's going on, Zen?" she said. "What was that you showed him? What did you do?"

"None of your business, Kyungju," he said, walking over to his locker to grab his water bottle. She followed, her high heels clicking behind him like a tracking device.

"Why did he look down your shirt?" she said. "What's there?"

Zen turned to look at Echo Girl, taking a long swig of his water. God, he was so sick of this woman. "Kyungju," he said. "Now might be a good time to go over your lines, don't you think?"

Echo Girl's face turned even more sour, if that was even possible. "Don't insult me, Ryu Hyun," she said, spitting out Zen's real name like it was a dirty word. Zen felt the heat of anger rise up in his chest. The last time he'd heard his real name come from a woman's lips, it had come from MC during an epic moment of passion, one he'd like to seal and savor in his memory forever. He surely didn't need Echo Girl to poison it with her vile lips now.

"Just can it, Echo Girl," Zen said, slamming his locker door. "No one wants to hear your voice… and, now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go call my girlfriend…" Zen pushed past Echo Girl, deliberately clipping her shoulder as he walked by.

"Ohhh!" Echo Girl said. "Well I never!"

So predictable, Zen thought, irritated. Bitch.

When Zen found a sufficiently quiet spot in the hallway, he dialed MC's number. She picked up right away.

"Well, hey there, my lovely Zen," she said. Zen's heart leapt at the sound of her sweet voice. How did she, after all this time, still manage to make him feel nervous?

"Hey yourself, Princess," he said. "How's the shoot going?"

Recently, with Saeyoung's help, Yoosung had been cast as a contestant in the hit series Queer Eye for a Guy, a makeover show where five flamboyant gay boys converged on a straight boy's life to inevitably improve it. Each of the "Rad 5", as they were known, played the role of the contestant's guru according to their area of expertise. There was "Flad" the hair and grooming expert, "Bertie" the gourmet cook, "Marty" the design guy, "Stiles" - all things fashion - and "Shane" the life coach.

"Things are going relatively good, so far," MC said. "Stiles has got Yoosung wearing a leather jacket, and Flad put some gel in his hair…" MC paused, for what Zen thought was maybe a bit too long… "Yoosung looks pretty good, actually," she said.

"Huh," Zen said, his mind swerving fast into the jealousy lane. Did MC just say Yoosung looked good? How good? Zen wanted to know, but he didn't want to sound insecure, so he just said: "Well, is that so?"

"Yeah," MC said. "You'd be so proud of him, Zenny… He's a regular you…"

"A regular me?" Zen croaked. Oh thanks, he thought, that makes me feel so much better. "Ha ha…" he said, out loud. "Sounds like the kid is growing up…"

"Mmm…" MC said vaguely, in a way that drove Zen crazy. MC didn't seem to notice, because she went on. "Well, you know how the Rad 5 always pick an event or something to showcase the contestant's transformation?"

"Mmm hmm…" Zen said. He'd only seen the show only a couple of times, but it always culminated with a big smash event that allowed the Rad 5 to show off their work and the contestant to introduce his newly-improved self to his community. Zen remembered one episode where a former pack-rat bachelor turned lady killer hosted a beachside barbeque, and finally got the guts to tell his neighbor - a cute bubbly blond - that he liked her. Zen recalled another episode where a once painfully introverted violinist, newly transformed into a sort of serenading stud, performed a birthday solo show at a high class private club in New York City for his long-time workmate crush... Wait, Zen thought, why was it so important to Yoosung that MC be on set with him for Queer Eye for a Guy? What was Yoosung planning? Zen shook away the thought… No, that was impossible...

Who has the matching tattoos? Zen quickly reminded himself. Who makes her cum like a god? Zen repeated these phrases like mantras to himself as he anxiously raked his fingers through his silver hair. God, he was trying to be a good sport about it all, but to be honest, this whole MC-helping-Yoosung-thing was really fucking killing him.

"Well, the Rad 5 want to use the upcoming RFA party as an opportunity to reveal the 'new Yoosung'…" MC said. His Princess was talking, but Zen could barely hear her. He was too altogether consumed with the whirl of his own anxious thoughts. Already, he was picturing MC's fingers digging deep into the "new" Yoosung's gelled-into-bedhead-perfect blond hair…

"Yeah?" Zen said, trying to keep one ear in the conversation but failing because he just couldn't shake the image of Yoosung moving himself down on top of her...

"Zen?" MC said, sounding annoyed. "Are you even listening to me right now?"

"Um, yeah," Zen said, attempting to pull himself away from the MC/Yoosung softcore porn in his mind.

"...Or are you too busy being jealous?" MC said. "Because if you're being jealous of Yoosung, then that's just ridiculous…"

Zen sighed. Busted. She knew him all too well at this point. "Yeah, I know," he said. "It's stupid… I just can't help it sometimes…"

"Yoosung's got nothing on you, baby," MC said, using the voice she uses in bed.

"Yeah?" Zen said, smiling a little. She didn't have to say that, or even say it in that way, but it was just what he needed to hear.

"Yeah," she said, like it was God's truth and everyone knew it. "I love you and you alone."

Man, she was so sweet, Zen thought. How was it that he got so lucky?

"So, how's it going with Echo Girl today anyway?" MC asked, a moment later.

Zen sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Let's just say that she's a lot, damn."

"I'm sorry, babe," MC said. "Want me to come over there and beat her up?"

Zen laughed. "Nah, that's OK… I think I can handle it." He paused, smiling into the phone. "But thanks, though, for offering to defend my honor, Princess."

"It's my pleasure," MC said. "Speaking of pleasure, when am I going to see you next, my lovely Zen?"

Zen smiled. "Wow, you really can't get enough of me, can you?"

"No," MC replied. "I really can't."

Hearing MC say those words made Zen feel tingly and warm all over. How could he have possibly been jealous of Yoosung, like even for a second? MC was his. They belonged together. When two people had a connection like they did, it was really stupid to be jealous. Zen needed to remember that.

"Well, then that's luck, then," Zen said, smiling. "Because I can't get enough of you, either."

They fell into an easy silence. Zen knew it was probably about time to make his way back to the set, but he just didn't want to hang up. He realized he could just sit there listening to her breathe all day long and be happy.

"Princess?" He said, finally. "You still there?"

"Yes, my lovely Zen," she replied. "I'm sorry, I was just listening to you breathe…" she giggled. "I know, so cheesy, right?"

Little did she know that Zen was smiling from ear to ear and looking a bit cheesy himself.

"I love you, MC," he said. God, his heart was just overflowing with feelings for this girl.

"And I love you, Ryu Hyun," she said back. "For always and always."

For always and always? Zen sighed. God, so damn cute! "For always and always and always…" he said back. He knew he sounded like a lovesick teenager, but really, he could give a damn.

Not a second later, the bell rang, calling everyone back to the set.

"Man," Zen said, sounding disappointed. "Damn, I gotta go... but I'll see you at home later? I'll make something tasty for dinner."

"Or, I could be something tasty..." MC said.

"Aw, man," Zen said, feeling the beast within him twitch and groan. He reached down and quickly readjusted his pants. "You naughty, pretty girl…"

"Wanna hear what I'm thinking right now?" MC asked.

Zen closed his eyes, letting them roll back into his head as he sighed. Yeah, damn, he wanted to hear what she was thinking, but he also had to get back on the set. The bell rang again - this time louder. Saved by the bell, Zen thought, literally.

"Damn, I really gotta go," Zen said. "Save it for later?"

"You know I will," MC said in a way that made Zen catch his breath. "Oh, and Zen?"

"Yeah, Princess?"

"Muah!" MC said, making a smacking sound into the phone. Did she just blow him a kiss over the phone? Zen thought. God...

"You're too damn cute, you know that?" Zen said, shaking his head and blushing a bit. "Muah yourself, Pretty Girl..."

As Zen hung up the phone and turned around to go back to the set, he saw Echo Girl leaning against the wall, just out of ear shot.

"How long have you been standing there?" he said, taken aback.

"Long enough to know how gross you two are…" Echo Girl said, and then she blew him a kiss. "Muah!"

Zen felt his ears turn hot with embarrassment as he watched her whip out a compact and begin reapplying her signature crimson-colored lipstick.

"You know that shade's all wrong for you," Zen said, coldly. It wasn't like him to be mean to a girl, but he just couldn't help himself. Somehow Kyungju made it easy. "It makes you look cheap."

Echo Girl turned to give him a sideways smirk. "Who asked you?" she said. "And who cares?" She snapped her compact closed and slithered off in the direction of the set room, rolling her hips. Zen waited, counting to ten, before he followed.

When Zen got back to the set, the writers were just emerging from the meeting room. They were all looking smug and excited, which was unusual for them. Typically, the writers could be observed sneering at each other and arguing about what seemed like very important points. They almost always came out of the meeting room in some manner of chaos or, if it was really bad, complete silence. This time, however, was different. This time the writers were smiling. They were, in fact, actually shaking each other's hands and slapping each other on the back in a congratulatory fashion.

"What the fuck is going on?" Zen heard a woman's voice at his elbow. He turned to find Lexi Ann standing there, wiping the lenses of her glasses with a soft gray cloth. "Is the world ending or what?"

"Who knows?" Zen said, although he suddenly had a really bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"What the hell were you showing Kim?" Lexi Ann said, gesturing to Zen's chest.

"Oh, that..." Zen started. "Well, MC and I got matching tattoos…"

"Ha, what?! Lexi Ann exclaimed. "Does Jaehee know?" Then she smiled and put a hand on Zen's shoulder. "Nah, seriously, hon, I'm just joking," she said. "Really, that's so frickin' adorable...If Saeyoung ever did something like that, I'd..."

Before Lexi Ann could finish her sentence, Director Ho-jin Kim emerged from the meeting room clapping his hands. "All hands on deck!" he shouted. Everyone snapped to attention and began moving to the center of room to surround Director Kim.

When he had everybody's attention, Director Kim began explaining the reason behind the writer's meeting and outlined what was going to happen next. Immediately it became apparent why Director Kim had been so excited at the prospect of Zen's most recent expression of love. The tattoo had given him an idea. Instead of being a "problem", something to hide, the tattoo was an "opportunity". Upon approval by the writers, and the executive team, the tattoo would play an essential role in the narrative of More Than Friends Season 2.

Zen's jaw dropped in astonishment. What?!

Director Kim went on to explain how Jae-joon's impulsive decision to get a tattoo following the Season 1 breakup with Ji-Yoo made perfect sense. The infinity symbol, and the hearts, were a sound representation of his love for Ji-yoo, a symbolic, forever symbol of his love for the woman who had captured his heart.

Wait, Jae-joon's decision, WTF? Yeah, Director Kim had the basic idea right, Zen thought angrily, but for the totally wrong couple! Zen couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"I mean, what woman could resist that level of expression of love and devotion?" Hi-jo Kim exclaimed with emotion.

Zen shook his bewildered head. Did they really think they were going to hijack this private thing that belonged to him and MC, and exploit it for the show? They couldn't do that, could they? Zen didn't have to wait long to get his answer. His heart sank as the whole room, especially the writers, nodded, clapped and snapped their agreement.

"Wow…"

"Oooh…"

"Aww…"

Zen scanned the room. In one way or another, every single person present was somehow signaling their approval of the move… Except Lexi Ann, of course, who silently locked eyes with Zen in a way that just said "Gosh, dude, I'm sorry…"

"So, when am I getting my matching tattoo, Ho-ji?" Echo Girl said, delivering a sly sultry glance first to the director, then pointedly at Zen.

"Like NEVER!" Zen heard himself shout. Everybody stopped talking and turned to look in Zen's direction. His laser red eyes were hot with rage and focused on Echo Girl. "Trust me, Kyungju," he said, trying to keep his voice steady and clear. "You will NEVER get that tattoo…do you hear me? Because that tattoo belongs to me and MC, no one else… Do you understand?"

"Oh I understand, as in I hear the words that are coming out of your mouth," Echo Girl said, savoring the moment by running her tongue in a way she probably thought was seductive. "But I'm not sure I agree. Because it seems to me that Ji-Yoo would certainly run out and get that tattoo, too, as an expression of her undying love and re-commitment to their relationship..."

Zen bristled, feeling greatly irritated. He was, in fact, seething.

"Look, none of this is fucking real, Kyungju…" Zen said in a way you might explain it to a two-year-old. "Jae-joon and Ji-Yoo are just characters…This is all fake…" Zen gestured to the lights, the set, everything around them. "You and me…" he said, pointing back and forth between their two bodies. "We're not 'in love'... We're fiction… We're simply a story that those people..." Zen gestured to the writing room, where the writers had regathered and were uncorking a fresh bottle of champagne. "...We're just a story those people made up, are making up, or whatever, out of thin air…" Zen paused to hang his silver head and let out a long sigh. "In other words," he said. "This J-J super South Korea couple thing is complete bullshit."

Echo Girl seemed completely unphased. She simply straightened her back, crossed her arms and shot Zen a cold, hard, cruel look.

"Is it though, Loveyhubby?" Echo Girl cooed, playing at coy. "Our story… isn't it more real than real for a lot of people?"

"NO!" Zen shouted, surprising himself by slamming his hands on the kitchen table in Ji-Yoo's 'fake' apartment. "THIS is NOT real. But this..." Zen said, pausing for the big reveal and then pulling the collar of his shirt down so everyone could see. "This tattoo… THIS is real! It's a real fucking thing between me and my real fucking girlfriend…"

Zen knew he was being dramatic, but he didn't give a damn. This fucking mattered. He paused, attempting to make eye contact with each and every one of the camera operators, grips, make-up artists, assistants, assistants to assistants in the room. To his chagrin, everyone was standing around with open mouths and blank faces.

"Damn. Does this even matter to anyone? Does anyone even really give a shit?" Zen felt the tears of desperation stinging behind his eyes, but there was no way he was shedding a single one here.

Echo Girl walked over to touch Zen's arm. "I guess not, Loveyhubby…" Echo Girl sighed, and then she giggled. "Looks like you and your 'real' girlfriend will just have to deal…"

Then Zen watched in slow motion as Echo Girl stood up on her tiptoes and planted a firm kiss on his cheek, leaving the red mark of her lips behind.

"Welcome to the big leagues, semi-famous model/actor boy," she cooed. "If you want to stay, you have to play…"

Zen felt his hands ball involuntarily into fists. He knew he wasn't the type to hit a girl, but man, oh man, Echo Girl sure knew how to push boundaries. Breathe, man, he said to himself, breathe.

Zen continued to breathe as he waited for a figure of authority to step in and defend him, to assure him that basic human rights were still intact, that money and power and privilege weren't running rampant in the modern world without checks and balances. His measured breathing met a silence he couldn't believe he was hearing.

Zen glanced in the direction of Director Kim, hoping for help, but he was already busy blocking out the next shot and unavailable for comment. Noting Echo Girl's self-assured smirk and the director's self-promoting actions, Zen's heart sunk further. He felt completely powerless and alone. God, this fucking sucks, he thought. He felt so fucking small.

Echo Girl had all the money, all the power, all the influence in her corner… How could he possibly compete with that? Zen sighed, dreading how he was going to have to explain it all to MC, how their singular declaration of love had been equated to the Jae-joon-Ji-Yoo (aka J-J) love affair that had so captured the hearts of all of South Korea… His heart sunk so far into his chest when he thought of MC's face when he told her the news. Although Zen knew this wasn't actually a betrayal on his part, he could easily see how it could be perceived as one. He knew that her heart was fragile. He should be the one able to protect her, he thought.

Then, just as he was contemplating and brooding his demise, Zen's red eyes lit up. Of course! Why didn't he think of it before?

"All the money, all the power and all the influence in her corner…"

Damn, Zen thought, shaking his head. Well, didn't he also have access to someone with all the money, all the power, all the influence in his corner? And didn't Director Kim say something about the executive team needing to sign their approval in order to move forward with this idea? What if they didn't?

Zen sighed, thinking the matter through. No, it wasn't the best option… For sure, he didn't like it… But Jumin was family, and he might help him...

No, Zen thought, correcting himself, he knew Jumin would help him… If only he would ask… He had to.

Zen's thoughts flashed forward to all the news articles, MeTube videos, memes, etc. that would popularize and demonize the tattoo that he and MC now shared, the very thing that he himself designed as a talisman to protect their relationship against such attacks. Echo Girl was right about one thing: the J-J super couple of South Korea was, in a sick way, "real" for a lot of people, and if the network put Zen and MC's tattoo on TV and said it was Jae-joon and Ji-yoo's, it would more or less make it so. Zen bent his his head forward, letting it sink into his hands.

Zen thought about MC. He thought about himself. He thought about how, above everything else, they deserved this love. Actor or no actor, he had a right to keep some parts of his life private, god damnit, and well MC... Zen smiled as he thought of her smile, so pure… One of the things he loved most about her was the way she put others before herself without even thinking... The way she never asked, never thought to ask, for anything in return... Zen squeezed his red eyes shut a moment as hot tears escaped the creases of his eyelids… Who else left in the world was so selfless? A heart like hers, Zen thought, needed to stay pure, to be protected.

Zen set his beautiful mouth into firm, determined line. Echo Girl, Director Kim, the fans… They had no business, they had no right to take this away. MC & Zen belonged together. Mine, ours, us, he thought.

Damn, Zen thought, his red eyes narrowing. I'm not taking off my shirt. Not this time. I'm just fucking not.

Without a word to anyone, Zen ducked back out into the narrow hallway to find a quiet place. Then he dialed Jumin's private number.

Author's note: Thanks (as always) for reading, reviewing, commenting, etc. ... I really like the comments & feedback... it really makes a difference, helps "plus" my stories, take them to new levels I may not have considered on my own. Fair warning: got a big work thing coming up so updates may be less frequent in the next couple of weeks... I hope to avoid that, but we'll see. There are a lot of great things on the horizon, including the latest RFA party with Jumin's new friend and the reveal of the transformed Yoosung... Also, what's up with MC's ex? (yup sorry, he's going to be a problem...)