I'll Be Good For You, Ch. 2
Previously:
Chapter 1: Here's to the Night
Disclaimer: The A.N.JELL-verse belongs to the Hong sisters, creators of You're Beautiful.
Technical Notes: Maybe it's all Sungkyunkwan Scandal's fault, but I'm starting to imagine Mi-nam as looking mmmmaybekindasorta like Yoo Ah-in, except maybe a little prettier. No offense to Park Shin-hye, but I don't want to cast her as the male lead in this fic :-p
Author's Notes: Please be informed that there might not be an update next week. I'm going to Korea! I have no idea if we're going to any of the places that appeared in YB (apart from the airport, LOL), but I'm pretty excited :) And thank you to akaironoyoru and lilivanilla1 for reviewing!
Chapter Two - Maneater (Nelly Furtado)
"Isn't this great?" Jeremy said to his bandmates.
It was hardly the ideal setting for a reunion; instead of a party or cozy meal at the mansion, the four members of A.N.JELL came together for the first time in a long time at a photographer's studio, preparing to have new concept photos taken for their upcoming album. They couldn't eat, drink or even sit comfortably because their style coordinator, Wang Sang-mee, didn't want to risk any damage to their outfits, and all around them staffers rushed around frantically in response to the photographer's rapid-fire instructions.
For the blond boy, however, that wasn't what was important. "It feels like it's been ages since we were all together!"
"It has," agreed Hwang Tae-kyung, the band's lead vocalist. He scowled as Stylist Wang fiddled with his hair for what seemed to be the millionth time. "Though sometimes I feel like the time apart was too short."
"I feel the same way about you, brother-in-law," Mi-nam drawled, grinning unrepentantly. He loved taking shameless advantage of the fact that the vocalist was Mi-nyeo's boyfriend, and if Tae-kyung wanted to have any kind of future with her, then he had to stay on Mi-nam's good side.
"Don't mind Tae-kyung, Jeremy," said Kang Shin-woo, A.N.JELL's lead guitarist, when Jeremy pouted. "I know that deep down, he's really glad to see you again." He grinned teasingly at Tae-kyung and reached over to ruffle the blond boy's hair, only to have his hand slapped away by Stylist Wang.
"Don't touch him!" the older woman ordered. "If one hair is out of place, the whole effect will be ruined!"
Shin-woo put on an appopriately contrite expression. "Sorry, noona."
Just then, Photographer Lee approached, all smiles. Although big-name celebrities demanded his services all the time, he and his staffers were nevertheless excited to be working with A.N.JELL. "Are we ready to begin?" he asked them pleasantly.
"Wait just one moment, please," Stylist Wang said, and walked over to make invisible adjustments to the ruffles on the front of Mi-nam's shirt. "OK, they're ready!"
"All right," the photographer began, "according to Stylist Wang here, the concept for your new album is 'the soul of the artist.' The style that she has developed will show your versatility as musicians, and I will do my best to convey that in my pictures.
"Now, the first series of photos is meant to show A.N.JELL's sensitive, romantic side." He nodded at the band's vaguely Victorian look, which featured flowing poet's shirts, skinny pants and hair artfully swept up off their foreheads. "I'd like you to have relaxed poses and soft expressions - but still masculine, of course. We'll do the more edgy styles later, when you change into your other costumes. Are there any questions?"
The band exchanged looks. "No," Tae-kyung said finally, on behalf of the entire group. "I think we're set." They were old hands at this sort of thing, and Photographer Lee's instructions seemed clear enough.
The older man beamed and clapped his hands. "Wonderful! Let's begin, then. Jeremy, we'll start with you."
President Ahn dropped by the set just as the photo session was wrapping up. Rather than call attention to himself, he proudly watched his boys in action from the sidelines and didn't address them until after the photographer put down his camera. "Nice job!" A.N.JELL's manager said then, clapping his hands.
Photographer Lee turned and gave the other man a bow and smile of greeting. "I think the pictures will come out very well, President Ahn," he said, then nodded happily to the band and crew on the set. "That's it for this session. Thank you for your hard work, everyone!"
Mi-nam and his bandmates applauded and thanked the crew on their way to join their manager. "All of you did very well," President Ahn praised them. "Stylist Wang, this is a very good concept that you've chosen."
"You haven't seen half of it, chief!" she replied, beaming at the compliment.
It was true; President Ahn had missed seeing A.N.JELL in their "sensitive artist" and "edgy artist" looks, the latter of which consisted of minimalist, predominantly black outfits. The band was now wearing what Stylist Wang called their "urban artist" outfits, which skillfully blended punk and hip-hop elements into a street-savvy whole. (Personally, Mi-nam liked this last style best of all, since it was closest to his own tastes.)
"Please have the boys change back into their regular clothes," President Ahn instructed her. "We have an appointment."
"Do we have to be there?" Jeremy whined. He was clearly starting to tire; otherwise, he wouldn't be so cranky.
"Don't worry," the manager soothed. "It's just a short dinner meeting. There's someone I need you boys to meet."
"Is she cute?" Mi-nam asked.
President Ahn frowned. At first, Mi-nam thought that he was displeased by the flippant question, but it turned out he was considering the question carefully. "I hadn't noticed," he admitted. "I didn't think it was important. Anyway, get changed and you'll see for yourself later."
He grinned. "Oh, so we are meeting a girl tonight!"
"The fact that she is a girl isn't relevant to the matter we have to discuss," the older man said, clearly disapproving now. "Get changed, Go Mi-nam."
"Yes, sir."
President Ahn took the band to his favorite hotel buffet, where he told them to eat as much as they wanted. The person with whom they were meeting was working late, he said, and would be joining them later.
The boys didn't need to be told twice. Almost immediately, they grabbed plates and attacked. There had been lunch and snacks between costume changes at the whole-day photo shoot, but they were still boys, and standing around and looking good still made one hungry.
Jeremy and Shin-woo were on their second round when President Ahn caught sight of someone and rose to his feet. "Ah, Reporter Park! Welcome!"
"Good evening, President Ahn," said a cultured female voice. "I'm sorry I'm late. I had to finish something at the office, and then the subway station was really crowded. I hope you didn't wait for too long."
"There's no need to apologize," he replied. "You gave us advance notice that you would be late. Besides, it gave the boys time to have some dinner. "Boys, here is the person I wanted you to meet. This is Ms. Park Oh-lan. She's a reporter for Inside Showbiz magazine. Reporter Park, I'm sure you know A.N.JELL."
"Of course." Oh-lan smiled politely and exchanged bows of greeting with the band. "Hello. It's a pleasure to meet you."
They answered her with varying degrees of warmth, with the blond drummer, Jeremy's, reply being the warmest of all. She supposed that they either didn't know about the project yet, or knew and were too tired to muster or even feign any enthusiasm. That was understandable; she imagined that they all had hectic schedules and this meeting was one more thing standing between them and some well-deserved rest.
"Why don't you get yourself something to eat?" President Ahn said to her then. "It's my treat. We'll talk more when you've settled."
She smiled at the older man. "All right. Thank you."
Oh-lan was hungry but didn't want to keep the others waiting, so rather than browse leisurely through the buffet offerings, she helped herself from the first station, grabbed a drink and headed quickly back to the table.
President Ahn was considerate enough to give her some time to eat before restarting the discussion. "I mentioned that Reporter Park here works for a magazine," he told the band, "but she's not here as a reporter. I've hired her to write a book about the making of A.N.JELL's new album."
"A book?" Jeremy repeated, his mouth full.
"That's right," the manager confirmed. "Reporter Park will be dropping by the recording studio to watch you work, and she'll be present at some of your other activities as well. I want the book to talk a bit about how you balance making music with your busy promotion schedules.
"So, I'll need you boys to cooperate with Reporter Park," he continued. "I want this book to be a success. It will be good for us not only in terms of sales, but it will also give your fans a look behind the scenes and help boost your image."
"Of course we'll all do our best," Shin-woo said with a smile, and Jeremy nodded in agreement. "It'll be pretty exciting, having a book written about us."
"Tae-kyung? Mi-nam?" their manager prompted.
"Of course, President Ahn," Tae-kyung said.
Oh-lan, however, could tell that the most private A.N.JELL member wasn't exactly enthusiastic about the project. "I'll tell you now that I would like to interview each of you for this book, and of course we'll have to take some pictures," she said, addressing the entire band but the vocalist in particular. "But I assure you that apart from that, I'll just be in the background, observing. I definitely don't want to interfere with your work."
She noted that Tae-kyung didn't look reassured; however, he gave her a brief nod of acknowledgement. That was a start, she supposed. Hopefully he would loosen up when he saw that she was interested only in watching the band in action, and not in mining for deep, dark secrets.
"It could have been worse," Shin-woo remarked on the ride home. "It could have been a reality show. At least a book seems more respectable."
"Perhaps, but just barely," Tae-kyung said derisively. "I doubt if it's going to be fine literature."
"I think it'll still be pretty good," Mi-nam told his bandmate. "I've read some of Park Oh-lan's articles for Inside Showbiz. She writes well."
"You read that rag?"
"You know I do." The keyboardist rolled his eyes. "I told you, it's to keep track of my popularity... and also for the pictures of hot actresses."
"Speaking of hot," Jeremy broke in, "what did you think of Reporter Park?" He laughed. "Was she as cute as you hoped?"
"Are you kidding?" Mi-nam scoffed. He had taken one look at the woman and dismissed her almost instantly. There was nothing at all stylish about her appearance. "If you put a veil on her, she could be one of the nuns at the orphanage."
"That's a nice thing to say," Shin-woo chuckled. "Weren't you just defending her a while ago?"
"I was talking about her skills, hyung, not her looks. She's still a good reporter, just not a cute one." He snickered. "And it's a good thing she's a reporter for a magazine, not a TV station."
The writer turned up at A.N.JELL's next recording session. As promised, she kept her distance, staying in the engineering booth while the band worked.
"Doesn't she look like a ghost or something?" Jeremy whispered to his bandmates during a short break, as they waited for playback. "It's creepy."
Mi-nam had to agree that it was disturbing to see the woman in black sitting at the producer's side like an evil spirit, and to know that she was watching them. He tended to gauge his performances based on external cues, and even though Producer Woo gave them all the feedback they really needed, her lack of expression (except for a look of intense concentration) was driving him crazy.
"What did you think?" he finally asked her when she joined them during the dinner break.
"About what?" the writer asked.
"The song, of course."
"Oh. It was good. I mean, I'm not an expert so I can't break it down for you, note by note, but I liked it." She chuckled briefly. "Even though I'll probably be hearing it in my sleep for the next week."
"You're not the only one!" Jeremy said. After catching a glare from Tae-kyung, he added quickly, "B-but of course we need to do fifteen takes of the song! How else are we going to get it perfect?"
"Is that the way it's done?" Oh-lan asked as she opened the styrofoam takeout container that a staffer handed to her and inspected the food inside. "Do you tend to play a song over and over until you get it right?"
"Sometimes, we get it done in one take," Shin-woo told her as he opened a bottle of water, "but we usually do more than one."
"That's because we or the producers want to make some adjustments," Tae-kyung said, "and see if the song would be better with those changes."
Mi-nam thought that "we" usually just meant "Tae-kyung;" as A.N.JELL's main songwriter, he was very meticulous about the way the band played his work. Of course, the keyboardist didn't say so, especially not in front of the writer. Besides, to be perfectly fair, Tae-kyung was just as demanding of himself as he was of the rest of them. He just wanted the song to be as good as it could be, that was all.
"I know the feeling," Oh-lan said. "Lots of times when I'm writing, I tend to fiddle with what I've already done even though it's perfectly good, just to see if I could say it better."
Tae-kyung nodded his understanding. "I do that, too."
"I think I get it from my parents. When they write papers, they edit them to death."
"Papers?" Jeremy repeated, looking confused.
"Academic papers," she clarified. "They're college professors."
Mi-nam snorted, hiding his reaction by taking a bite of kimbap. No wonder she wore such thick glasses and boring clothes. It figures.
"What figures?" Oh-lan asked him.
He blinked, realizing that then he had spoken that last thought aloud. "It-it figures that your parents would be educated people," he said, thinking fast, "since you sound so intelligent yourself!"
"I do?"
Mi-nam nodded earnestly, putting on his most angelic expression and hoping she wouldn't notice Jeremy's knowing grin. His bandmates could tell that he was trying to cover up something. "I've read some of your articles for Inside Showbiz," he went on. "I think they're some of the best writing I've ever seen in your magazine."
"Oh." Distracted by the compliment, she gave him a pleased smile. "Well, thank you very much."
"You're welcome."
As the writer smiled, he couldn't help thinking that maybe she didn't look as nun-like as he had first thought. It wasn't just the smile; there was something else about her that kept her from looking like President Ahn's secretary or the mean nuns at the orphanage. He just couldn't put his finger on it right now.
Then she turned to answer a question that Shin-woo had asked her, and Mi-nam saw the pen sticking out of the sloppy bun at the back of her head. She might not be a nun, he thought, but she's still a nerd.
Chapter 1: Here's to the Night
Disclaimer: The A.N.JELL-verse belongs to the Hong sisters, creators of You're Beautiful.
Technical Notes: Maybe it's all Sungkyunkwan Scandal's fault, but I'm starting to imagine Mi-nam as looking mmmmaybekindasorta like Yoo Ah-in, except maybe a little prettier. No offense to Park Shin-hye, but I don't want to cast her as the male lead in this fic :-p
Author's Notes: Please be informed that there might not be an update next week. I'm going to Korea! I have no idea if we're going to any of the places that appeared in YB (apart from the airport, LOL), but I'm pretty excited :) And thank you to akaironoyoru and lilivanilla1 for reviewing!
Chapter Two - Maneater (Nelly Furtado)
"Isn't this great?" Jeremy said to his bandmates.
It was hardly the ideal setting for a reunion; instead of a party or cozy meal at the mansion, the four members of A.N.JELL came together for the first time in a long time at a photographer's studio, preparing to have new concept photos taken for their upcoming album. They couldn't eat, drink or even sit comfortably because their style coordinator, Wang Sang-mee, didn't want to risk any damage to their outfits, and all around them staffers rushed around frantically in response to the photographer's rapid-fire instructions.
For the blond boy, however, that wasn't what was important. "It feels like it's been ages since we were all together!"
"It has," agreed Hwang Tae-kyung, the band's lead vocalist. He scowled as Stylist Wang fiddled with his hair for what seemed to be the millionth time. "Though sometimes I feel like the time apart was too short."
"I feel the same way about you, brother-in-law," Mi-nam drawled, grinning unrepentantly. He loved taking shameless advantage of the fact that the vocalist was Mi-nyeo's boyfriend, and if Tae-kyung wanted to have any kind of future with her, then he had to stay on Mi-nam's good side.
"Don't mind Tae-kyung, Jeremy," said Kang Shin-woo, A.N.JELL's lead guitarist, when Jeremy pouted. "I know that deep down, he's really glad to see you again." He grinned teasingly at Tae-kyung and reached over to ruffle the blond boy's hair, only to have his hand slapped away by Stylist Wang.
"Don't touch him!" the older woman ordered. "If one hair is out of place, the whole effect will be ruined!"
Shin-woo put on an appopriately contrite expression. "Sorry, noona."
Just then, Photographer Lee approached, all smiles. Although big-name celebrities demanded his services all the time, he and his staffers were nevertheless excited to be working with A.N.JELL. "Are we ready to begin?" he asked them pleasantly.
"Wait just one moment, please," Stylist Wang said, and walked over to make invisible adjustments to the ruffles on the front of Mi-nam's shirt. "OK, they're ready!"
"All right," the photographer began, "according to Stylist Wang here, the concept for your new album is 'the soul of the artist.' The style that she has developed will show your versatility as musicians, and I will do my best to convey that in my pictures.
"Now, the first series of photos is meant to show A.N.JELL's sensitive, romantic side." He nodded at the band's vaguely Victorian look, which featured flowing poet's shirts, skinny pants and hair artfully swept up off their foreheads. "I'd like you to have relaxed poses and soft expressions - but still masculine, of course. We'll do the more edgy styles later, when you change into your other costumes. Are there any questions?"
The band exchanged looks. "No," Tae-kyung said finally, on behalf of the entire group. "I think we're set." They were old hands at this sort of thing, and Photographer Lee's instructions seemed clear enough.
The older man beamed and clapped his hands. "Wonderful! Let's begin, then. Jeremy, we'll start with you."
President Ahn dropped by the set just as the photo session was wrapping up. Rather than call attention to himself, he proudly watched his boys in action from the sidelines and didn't address them until after the photographer put down his camera. "Nice job!" A.N.JELL's manager said then, clapping his hands.
Photographer Lee turned and gave the other man a bow and smile of greeting. "I think the pictures will come out very well, President Ahn," he said, then nodded happily to the band and crew on the set. "That's it for this session. Thank you for your hard work, everyone!"
Mi-nam and his bandmates applauded and thanked the crew on their way to join their manager. "All of you did very well," President Ahn praised them. "Stylist Wang, this is a very good concept that you've chosen."
"You haven't seen half of it, chief!" she replied, beaming at the compliment.
It was true; President Ahn had missed seeing A.N.JELL in their "sensitive artist" and "edgy artist" looks, the latter of which consisted of minimalist, predominantly black outfits. The band was now wearing what Stylist Wang called their "urban artist" outfits, which skillfully blended punk and hip-hop elements into a street-savvy whole. (Personally, Mi-nam liked this last style best of all, since it was closest to his own tastes.)
"Please have the boys change back into their regular clothes," President Ahn instructed her. "We have an appointment."
"Do we have to be there?" Jeremy whined. He was clearly starting to tire; otherwise, he wouldn't be so cranky.
"Don't worry," the manager soothed. "It's just a short dinner meeting. There's someone I need you boys to meet."
"Is she cute?" Mi-nam asked.
President Ahn frowned. At first, Mi-nam thought that he was displeased by the flippant question, but it turned out he was considering the question carefully. "I hadn't noticed," he admitted. "I didn't think it was important. Anyway, get changed and you'll see for yourself later."
He grinned. "Oh, so we are meeting a girl tonight!"
"The fact that she is a girl isn't relevant to the matter we have to discuss," the older man said, clearly disapproving now. "Get changed, Go Mi-nam."
"Yes, sir."
President Ahn took the band to his favorite hotel buffet, where he told them to eat as much as they wanted. The person with whom they were meeting was working late, he said, and would be joining them later.
The boys didn't need to be told twice. Almost immediately, they grabbed plates and attacked. There had been lunch and snacks between costume changes at the whole-day photo shoot, but they were still boys, and standing around and looking good still made one hungry.
Jeremy and Shin-woo were on their second round when President Ahn caught sight of someone and rose to his feet. "Ah, Reporter Park! Welcome!"
"Good evening, President Ahn," said a cultured female voice. "I'm sorry I'm late. I had to finish something at the office, and then the subway station was really crowded. I hope you didn't wait for too long."
"There's no need to apologize," he replied. "You gave us advance notice that you would be late. Besides, it gave the boys time to have some dinner. "Boys, here is the person I wanted you to meet. This is Ms. Park Oh-lan. She's a reporter for Inside Showbiz magazine. Reporter Park, I'm sure you know A.N.JELL."
"Of course." Oh-lan smiled politely and exchanged bows of greeting with the band. "Hello. It's a pleasure to meet you."
They answered her with varying degrees of warmth, with the blond drummer, Jeremy's, reply being the warmest of all. She supposed that they either didn't know about the project yet, or knew and were too tired to muster or even feign any enthusiasm. That was understandable; she imagined that they all had hectic schedules and this meeting was one more thing standing between them and some well-deserved rest.
"Why don't you get yourself something to eat?" President Ahn said to her then. "It's my treat. We'll talk more when you've settled."
She smiled at the older man. "All right. Thank you."
Oh-lan was hungry but didn't want to keep the others waiting, so rather than browse leisurely through the buffet offerings, she helped herself from the first station, grabbed a drink and headed quickly back to the table.
President Ahn was considerate enough to give her some time to eat before restarting the discussion. "I mentioned that Reporter Park here works for a magazine," he told the band, "but she's not here as a reporter. I've hired her to write a book about the making of A.N.JELL's new album."
"A book?" Jeremy repeated, his mouth full.
"That's right," the manager confirmed. "Reporter Park will be dropping by the recording studio to watch you work, and she'll be present at some of your other activities as well. I want the book to talk a bit about how you balance making music with your busy promotion schedules.
"So, I'll need you boys to cooperate with Reporter Park," he continued. "I want this book to be a success. It will be good for us not only in terms of sales, but it will also give your fans a look behind the scenes and help boost your image."
"Of course we'll all do our best," Shin-woo said with a smile, and Jeremy nodded in agreement. "It'll be pretty exciting, having a book written about us."
"Tae-kyung? Mi-nam?" their manager prompted.
"Of course, President Ahn," Tae-kyung said.
Oh-lan, however, could tell that the most private A.N.JELL member wasn't exactly enthusiastic about the project. "I'll tell you now that I would like to interview each of you for this book, and of course we'll have to take some pictures," she said, addressing the entire band but the vocalist in particular. "But I assure you that apart from that, I'll just be in the background, observing. I definitely don't want to interfere with your work."
She noted that Tae-kyung didn't look reassured; however, he gave her a brief nod of acknowledgement. That was a start, she supposed. Hopefully he would loosen up when he saw that she was interested only in watching the band in action, and not in mining for deep, dark secrets.
"It could have been worse," Shin-woo remarked on the ride home. "It could have been a reality show. At least a book seems more respectable."
"Perhaps, but just barely," Tae-kyung said derisively. "I doubt if it's going to be fine literature."
"I think it'll still be pretty good," Mi-nam told his bandmate. "I've read some of Park Oh-lan's articles for Inside Showbiz. She writes well."
"You read that rag?"
"You know I do." The keyboardist rolled his eyes. "I told you, it's to keep track of my popularity... and also for the pictures of hot actresses."
"Speaking of hot," Jeremy broke in, "what did you think of Reporter Park?" He laughed. "Was she as cute as you hoped?"
"Are you kidding?" Mi-nam scoffed. He had taken one look at the woman and dismissed her almost instantly. There was nothing at all stylish about her appearance. "If you put a veil on her, she could be one of the nuns at the orphanage."
"That's a nice thing to say," Shin-woo chuckled. "Weren't you just defending her a while ago?"
"I was talking about her skills, hyung, not her looks. She's still a good reporter, just not a cute one." He snickered. "And it's a good thing she's a reporter for a magazine, not a TV station."
The writer turned up at A.N.JELL's next recording session. As promised, she kept her distance, staying in the engineering booth while the band worked.
"Doesn't she look like a ghost or something?" Jeremy whispered to his bandmates during a short break, as they waited for playback. "It's creepy."
Mi-nam had to agree that it was disturbing to see the woman in black sitting at the producer's side like an evil spirit, and to know that she was watching them. He tended to gauge his performances based on external cues, and even though Producer Woo gave them all the feedback they really needed, her lack of expression (except for a look of intense concentration) was driving him crazy.
"What did you think?" he finally asked her when she joined them during the dinner break.
"About what?" the writer asked.
"The song, of course."
"Oh. It was good. I mean, I'm not an expert so I can't break it down for you, note by note, but I liked it." She chuckled briefly. "Even though I'll probably be hearing it in my sleep for the next week."
"You're not the only one!" Jeremy said. After catching a glare from Tae-kyung, he added quickly, "B-but of course we need to do fifteen takes of the song! How else are we going to get it perfect?"
"Is that the way it's done?" Oh-lan asked as she opened the styrofoam takeout container that a staffer handed to her and inspected the food inside. "Do you tend to play a song over and over until you get it right?"
"Sometimes, we get it done in one take," Shin-woo told her as he opened a bottle of water, "but we usually do more than one."
"That's because we or the producers want to make some adjustments," Tae-kyung said, "and see if the song would be better with those changes."
Mi-nam thought that "we" usually just meant "Tae-kyung;" as A.N.JELL's main songwriter, he was very meticulous about the way the band played his work. Of course, the keyboardist didn't say so, especially not in front of the writer. Besides, to be perfectly fair, Tae-kyung was just as demanding of himself as he was of the rest of them. He just wanted the song to be as good as it could be, that was all.
"I know the feeling," Oh-lan said. "Lots of times when I'm writing, I tend to fiddle with what I've already done even though it's perfectly good, just to see if I could say it better."
Tae-kyung nodded his understanding. "I do that, too."
"I think I get it from my parents. When they write papers, they edit them to death."
"Papers?" Jeremy repeated, looking confused.
"Academic papers," she clarified. "They're college professors."
Mi-nam snorted, hiding his reaction by taking a bite of kimbap. No wonder she wore such thick glasses and boring clothes. It figures.
"What figures?" Oh-lan asked him.
He blinked, realizing that then he had spoken that last thought aloud. "It-it figures that your parents would be educated people," he said, thinking fast, "since you sound so intelligent yourself!"
"I do?"
Mi-nam nodded earnestly, putting on his most angelic expression and hoping she wouldn't notice Jeremy's knowing grin. His bandmates could tell that he was trying to cover up something. "I've read some of your articles for Inside Showbiz," he went on. "I think they're some of the best writing I've ever seen in your magazine."
"Oh." Distracted by the compliment, she gave him a pleased smile. "Well, thank you very much."
"You're welcome."
As the writer smiled, he couldn't help thinking that maybe she didn't look as nun-like as he had first thought. It wasn't just the smile; there was something else about her that kept her from looking like President Ahn's secretary or the mean nuns at the orphanage. He just couldn't put his finger on it right now.
Then she turned to answer a question that Shin-woo had asked her, and Mi-nam saw the pen sticking out of the sloppy bun at the back of her head. She might not be a nun, he thought, but she's still a nerd.