Hey there! So I decided that this will be an M rated story. I think I have a fairly good idea of where this is going, so bear with me please. Anyway, enjoy.
MC was walking toward her apartment, novel tucked under her left arm as her right reached for her cell phone. She noticed a missed call, and decided to return it.
"Hello?"
"Hey Jaehee," MC replied, her journey to her apartment nearly complete.
"MC, how are you?" asked Jaehee. "You didn't call on your bus ride home, so I was worried."
"Oh, sorry," MC said sheepishly. "Someone actually sat next to me and engaged in conversation."
"You sound… happy," Jaehee said. "Good conversation, I take it?"
"It was kinda interesting," admitted MC. "He said he's an actor."
"Really?" Jaehee's voice perked up interestedly. "What was his name?"
MC laughed to herself. She'd almost forgotten how obsessed with musicals, movies and the like her friend was. It was the only thing Jaehee ever got animated about. Arriving at her apartment, MC opened her bag.
"Hmm… I think he said it was Zen," MC said as she fished for the keys to her apartment.
Thump.
"Jaehee?! Are you okay?!" MC yelled into the receiver.
The brunette heard shuffling before the phone was back in her friend's hand.
"ZEN?! The famous musical actor?!" Jaehee questioned with surprise.
"Uh… yes?" replied MC uncertainly as she opened her door. Musicals weren't really her thing.
"Did you get a picture? An autograph? Something?" came Jaehee's rapid fire questions.
"Calm down!" MC said feeling overwhelmed.
"I'm sorry," Jaehee said, her voice returning to its normal tone. "It's not every day your friend meets a celebrity."
"I didn't know he was so popular," MC said as she made her way to her bedroom.
"His looks are known the world over," Jaehee said. "Beautiful silver hair and hypnotizing red eyes… he's definitely something else."
"Huh, I thought he was still in costume," MC said. "So it isn't a wig and contacts."
"Of course not!" said Jaehee indignantly, then sighed. "He's otherworldly."
"Jeez Jaehee, you sure know a lot about this guy," MC said with amusement.
"I'm part of his fan club, so of course I know a lot," replied Jaehee proudly. "I have all of his DVDs."
"Um… congratulations?" MC said.
"You have to see them!" Jaehee said. "His looks are phenomenal, but his acting is definitely top notch."
"Yeah, sure," MC replied dismissively. She was exhausted.
Saying goodbye to her friend, MC flopped onto her bed and sighed. Leave it to her to bump into some celebrity and not even know it.
"He isn't human," muttered Mrs. Ryu to her husband.
They were watching 10 year old Hyun playing happily. Just two days before, he'd sprained his ankle. The doctors told them he'd need to wear a splint for about two weeks. They had woke up that day to find that Hyun freed his leg of the confines meant to heal it and walked around as if he hadn't been in pain a couple of days ago.
"It is unsettling to see how fast he's healed," responded Mr. Ryu, his eyes not leaving his silver haired son.
They took him to a string of doctors, and even some of their fellow professors, but no one had an answer as to why Hyun was able to heal from injuries so quickly or never got sick. It was biologically impossible they'd been told.
"He has to be some kind of monster," Mrs. Ryu said. "There's no other explanation for it."
Hyun's ears perked up as he heard his parents whispering about him. Though they tried to be quiet, he could hear them as if he were sitting with them. Stopping what he was doing, he looked at his parents. They caught him staring, and looked away worriedly.
Hyun frowned.
'They're right,' a dark voice rang in his head. 'You're a monster. No one will love you.'
Hyun gripped his hair in his hands. The voice was back again. Where did it come from, and why wouldn't it leave him alone?
'No,' thought Hyun. 'I'm not a monster. I'm just a kid.'
The voice chuckled darkly.
'Not a monster, huh?' the voice said to him. 'Then why is your family so afraid of you? Why don't they love you?'
Hyun gripped his hair tighter as tears formed in his eyes. There was no way he was a monster right?
'Leave me alone,' he begged.
'I'll always be with you,' the voice said. 'After all, I'm part of you.'
Silent tears fell from his eyes as he sank to his knees.
"Please," he whimpered aloud. "Help me."
Zen woke up with a gasp, bangs sticking to his sweaty forehead. He hated when he dreamt about the past. Getting up, he went to the bathroom.
The silver haired man stared at his tired reflection, then splashed water on his face. The shock of cold water shook a bit of the haze off and he lifted his eyes to look at his reflection again. The slit pupils staring back at him sent a cold chill down his spine.
'It's only a matter of time,' the voice rang out through his head. 'You can't resist forever.'
Shaking his head vigorously, Zen put his palms to his eyes and rubbed them. Slowly looking at himself once more, he saw his red eyes were back to normal. He sighed with relief and knew the voice was right. His control over his darker side was beginning to slip no matter how hard he tried to reign it in. He'd already been to so many priests for charms or rosaries that'd help keep him in check, but the other part of him had been continuously growing stronger.
Trudging his way back to his bedroom, Zen tried to think of something positive. Brown hair and a brilliant smile flashed in his mind. A smile graced his lips as he remembered his interaction with MC on the bus earlier that day. She was definitely an interesting person.
Befriending MC felt natural. He knew he'd probably never see her again, but the way he felt when he talked to her was something he wouldn't forget. With most women he talked to, he could see the hunger in their eyes; they were obsessed with his looks and couldn't care less about who he was as a person. With MC, he got to be himself a bit. The way she reacted to him told Zen that she wasn't into musical theater, so she couldn't have been aware of his popularity. She didn't seem stuck on his looks either, so that was a plus.
Dating was something Zen tended to avoid. His last relationship was five years ago, and he still felt regret over it. He thought he'd had complete control of himself, but it showed that at 19, you're still pretty naïve. His control had slipped severely, and as a result, he'd almost done something that would have caused him to lose himself forever.
Lying back on his mattress, he stared at the ceiling. Heaving a heavy sigh, Zen shut his eyes. He wanted to see MC again, and hoped against hope that the universe would somehow let him bump into her again.
He didn't expect the universe to provide so quickly though.
The next day, MC was at work, typing furiously on her computer as she talked on the phone. Working for Jumin Han was extremely tiring, but very well paid. She was grateful to Jaehee for helping her get the job. Mr. Han was methodical and robot-like, but quite considerate to his employees though he tried not to show it.
"MC," rang Jumin's voice on the intercom.
Hanging up the phone, she answered quickly.
"Yes, Mr. Han?" she replied professionally.
"My next appointment is due to arrive in the next 5 minutes, and I want you to escort him to my office," Jumin told her.
"Understood sir," MC said. "What is his name?"
"I believe it was Mr. Ryu," said Jumin. "You'll know him when you see him."
"Yes sir," MC said. Jumin cut the line.
Getting up from her desk, MC smoothed her blouse. Stretching out with a satisfied groan, she made her way to the elevator to greet Jumin's next client.
Exactly five minutes later, the elevator doors opened. Looking up from her watch, brown eyes met surprised red ones.
"Mr. Ryu?" she asked with an eyebrow raised.
"U-Um… yeah," Zen replied. "I didn't know you worked here."
"Well, it's not exactly like I gave you my life's story yesterday," MC quipped with a shrug.
There was that snark again. He smiled.
MC felt her stomach do a little flip at the sight of his upturned lips. Zen really was a handsome man.
"A-Anyway, Mr. Han's office is right this way," MC said after clearing her throat.
Zen noticed the light pink high on her cheekbones as she turned away. She was adorable. Shaking the thought from his head, he ran a rough hand through his hair and followed the brunette to Jumin's office. He didn't need to let those kinds of thoughts take root in his mind.