I'll Be Good For You, Ch. 5
Previously:
Chapter 1: Here's to the Night
Chapter 2: Maneater
Chapter 3: Know Your Enemy
Chapter 4: I Just Wanna Live
Disclaimer: The A.N.JELL-verse belongs to the Hong sisters, creators of You're Beautiful.
Author's Notes: Thanks, as always, to akaironoyoru and lilivanilla1 for reviewing, and to those of you still following this story :) I hope you're enjoying it so far. I'm having a lot of fun writing it, although I'm not looking forward to the coding for Chapter 11 - people will be speaking quite a bit of English, which means lots of italics. Hoo boy. But enough about that. ;) On with the show!
Chapter Five - Shark in the Water (VV Brown)
"Congratulations on finally having your interview, Go Mi-nam!" Jeremy crowed during a break in A.N.JELL's recording session the next day. "You have become a man at last!"
"Oh, please," Mi-nam retorted. "Unlike you, I didn't need to have that interview to become a man."
Shin-woo chuckled. "Well, it's still a good thing you finally got it out of the way. It wasn't so bad, was it?"
"No, hyung, it wasn't." He glanced at the engineering booth, where the writer was deep in conversation with Producer Woo. "She asked some pretty interesting questions. Definitely different from what we usually get asked, that's for sure."
"Did she ask you about what you thought of the rest of us?" Jeremy asked eagerly. "She asked each of us that question. I've been asking Tae-kyung hyung what he said, but he doesn't want to tell me."
"That's because you have to wait until the book comes out," Tae-kyung told him, scowling.
"What did you say about me, Mi-nam?" the blond boy persisted.
The keyboardist was spared from having to tell Jeremy about his interview by the appearance of President Ahn in the engineering booth. He stopped to exchange greetings with Producer Woo and Reporter Park, and then, seeing that the band wasn't currently recording, entered the studio. "Hello, boys!" he said to them. "How is the recording going?"
"Just fine, President Ahn," Tae-kyung assured him. "We're just taking a break right now."
"Did you need anything, sir?" Shin-woo asked.
"I'm glad you asked, Shin-woo," President Ahn replied, presenting him with a thin white envelope. "This came for you by official messenger today."
"For me?" Looking puzzled, the guitarist took the envelope and opened it, withdrawing a single sheet of paper.
"What does it say, hyung?" Jeremy asked, peering at the page.
A happy grin spread across Shin-woo's face as he read his letter. "It's from the Pan Chung-ae Memorial Children's Foundation," he announced. "They've chosen our song for their new sports campaign."
"Really?" Mi-nam asked as Jeremy whooped and shook Shin-woo's shoulders ecstatically. "Awesome."
"That's wonderful," Tae-kyung said with a warm smile. "Congratulations, Shin-woo." Although the guitarist had referred to it as an A.N.JELL song, it was actually one of Shin-woo's compositions.
"Thanks," he answered, still grinning. "I should call-" He caught himself and glanced uncertainly at President Ahn.
The older man smiled. "You should call Ha-neul and let her know the good news," he finished. "After all, she was the one who told you about this opportunity."
He gave a nervous laugh and nodded. "Exactly."
"You might want to do that now," President Ahn suggested. "Producer Woo might want to get back to work soon. As for me, I'm going to give the foundation a call so we can discuss A.N.JELL's involvement in the campaign." He gave Shin-woo a fatherly nod. "Congratulations again."
"Do you think President Ahn knows about the two of you, Shin-woo hyung?" Mi-nam wondered when the manager was gone.
"Yes, he probably does." The guitarist turned red. "He sort of... almost caught us backstage at the last fanmeeting."
"He did?" Mi-nam chuckled. "Well, congratulations. It looks like you've become a man, too."
Oh-lan heard all about the foundation and its campaign from Stylist Wang, who dragged her along on a shopping trip to Itaewon. "I need to buy cool sports gear for the band," the flamboyantly dressed woman said as she strutted down the street, her spike heels clicking noisily. "They're not just going to sing the official song for the campaign, they're going to be in the advertisements, too."
"It's great that A.N.JELL is taking time out of their busy schedules to contribute to a good cause," Oh-lan said, walking briskly to try and keep up. Despite the fact that the stylist was wearing heels, Oh-lan still had to take two strides to each one of hers, and dodge the crowds of tourists milling around. "Of course, they wouldn't be able to do this without your help."
Stylist Wang preened at the compliment. "You know, it's really refreshing to have someone like you recognizing the staff's contributions to A.N.JELL," she said. "Of course, President Ahn is a great boss, but for someone who's not really in the company to care about how we support A.N.JELL...."
"As a reporter, I work behind the scenes, too," Oh-lan pointed out. "I know how it can get sometimes."
"I guess you do." The taller woman smiled. "By the way, Manager Ma told me he's really excited about being interviewed tomorrow."
She smiled. "President Ahn wants the book to be about the making of the new album. The band will tell a big part of that story, but the people around them will have their own points of view and help complete the bigger picture."
They had a pleasant chat about Stylist Wang's duties and experiences as part of the A.N.JELL staff while the woman picked out colorful athletic wear and brand-new badminton equipment for the photo shoot. Then suddenly, a colorful window display caught the stylist's eye. "Ooh, let's go in here!"
There was a mighty yank on her arm and Oh-lan squeaked in surprise. The next thing she knew, she was standing in a forest of trendy clothing. "But these are clothes for women," she said. "You can't find anything for A.N.JELL here."
"I'm not looking for things for them, silly!" Stylist Wang told her. "I want to pick out some things for you!"
"What?"
"Reporter Park, you're a great person, but your outfit has been driving me crazy." She eyed Oh-lan's khaki slacks and dark blazer critically. "What you're wearing looks like a school uniform - and even worse, a boy's school uniform! And that hair!"
"It's a perm; it'll grow out," she replied defensively, even as she thought that Stylist Wang, with her own frizzy mane, didn't have the right to cast stones when it came to hair. "And I can't afford a complete makeover on my salary. You might be used to shopping on an almost-unlimited budget, but I'm not."
"You're not going to throw everything out. That stuff is classic; you just need to mix them more colorful, trendy things for a more interesting look." She prodded Oh-lan critically. "I think you can also afford to wear more form-fitting clothes - you definitely have the body for it!"
Ignoring all protests, Stylist Wang hustled her and an armload of clothing into a fitting room. Before she knew what had happened, Oh-lan found herself at the checkout counter with several pieces that the stylist promised would help revitalize her look. By a stroke of luck, all of it was on sale, too, so she couldn't even argue that they were too expensive.
"Now, your assignment is to blend your new things into your wardrobe," Stylist Wang instructed. "I promise you, it all looks great on you, and now you have to make sure you actually wear them!"
"And what about the hair?" Oh-lan asked, arching a quizzical eyebrow. She hadn't forgotten that the stylist had picked on that, too.
"We'll get to that eventually. Now, don't let all my hard work go to waste! I normally don't give style advice for free, you know!"
Upon getting home that night, Oh-lan spread her new things out on her bed. "What do you think, Genghis?" she asked.
At the sound of his name, a fat gray cat leapt onto the bed to investigate. He sniffed at the clothes, let out an indifferent "Rrroooow," curled up and went to sleep.
She chuckled. "I guess you don't care much about this kind of thing. It doesn't matter what I wear as long as I keep your food and water bowls filled, right?"
Well, to her untrained eye, she supposed that her new purchases were all right. They were a lot more colorful and flashy than she was used to, but they did look nice. Like the good student (and child of college professors) that she was, she was going to take Stylist Wang's assignment seriously and think of ways to mix and match and spice up her wardrobe.
As it happened, Oh-lan also had an opportunity to try out her new look - that night, she was having dinner at her parents' house. That was probably the safest place to wear a new outfit for the first time; if there was anyone who could accept you unconditionally, it was your family, wasn't it?
Nodding decisively, she surveyed the clothing spread out on her bed. Which would she try first? The skirt with large poppies printed all over it?
No, Oh-lan thought, that's too bold. Besides, Genghis is sleeping on it.
The tailored shirt that tied around the waist?
That's for work.
The ruffled red blouse?
She made a face. Too tight. Why did I even buy that in the first place?
Suddenly, it occurred to her that trying out her new look on her parents might not be the best idea. They had always been encouraging of her, but now that she thought about it, neither of them, not even her mother, knew much about fashion (unless it was some sort of historical costume that she would never wear in public).
"I think I'll just wear my usual clothes," she muttered, heading for her closet for a clean shirt and pants.
Oh-lan felt a little ashamed of herself for not going through with Stylist Wang's assignment, but promptly forgot all of that when she arrived at her parents' house in Yongin and her father, Professor Park Chung-il, answered the door. "Oh-lan, you're here!" he said, beaming like a bespectacled moon. "Come in, come in!"
"Hello, Appa," she replied as she entered the house and changed out of her shoes. It felt warm and cozy indoors after the walk in the cool early-autumn evening from the bus stop. Delicious cooking smells danced in the air. "I'm not late, am I?"
"Oh, no! We're just putting the finishing touches on dinner. Yobo, Oh-lan is here!" he called to his wife.
"I know," Professor Han answered, emerging from the back of the house. Like her daughter, she was slender and petite. "I think everyone in Yongin knows."
"Can't a man be glad to see his little girl?"
Oh-lan smiled. "Hi, Omma," she said. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Oh, no, dinner's just about ready," her mother answered. "Come, help us bring it into the dining room."
Dinner wasn't fancy, just rice, grilled pork and some vegetable side dishes, but it was nevertheless a happy meal. With both her parents busy and Oh-lan herself working and living away from home, the family tried to make the most of the increasingly rare occasions that they were all together.
"Your Uncle Chung-ho said that you're very busy writing that book," her father said as he helped himself to some of the pork. "How is it going?"
"I think it's going well," Oh-lan replied. "I've already done a lot of interviews. Everyone has been very cooperative."
"They're not giving you a hard time just because you're a woman?" her mother asked.
She smiled. "No, Omma. I made it very clear from the start that I mean business."
"Good."
"The book isn't really an investigative piece, since I'm being paid to present the band in a certain way," Oh-lan went on, adding some sautéed spinach to the lettuce wrap she was making, "but it's also not far from how they really are so I don't feel as though I'm compromising my integrity as a journalist."
"Just do your best, that's all you need to worry about," Professor Park advised. "Your uncle said he recommended you to the company because you were very bright and one of his best writers."
"Yes, that's what he said when he asked me if I wanted to do it," Oh-lan said with a smile. At work, she and her uncle took care to maintain a strictly professional relationship, so for him to tell her that in a meeting meant a lot. "And I am doing my best. The book is going to turn out great, you'll see."
Meanwhile, back at AN Entertainment, A.N.JELL was putting the finishing touches on "Go For It," the song that Shin-woo had written for the sports campaign being launched by the Pan Chung-ae Memorial Children's Foundation.
Producer Woo gave them a double thumbs-up from the engineering booth as the final note died away. "Great job, A.N.JELL!"
The engineering staff applauded and Shin-woo smiled at his bandmates. "That was really great. Thanks for helping me record the song, guys."
"You don't have to thank us, hyung!" Jeremy got up from behind his drum kit to give the guitarist a high five. "Of course we were going to help you record your song!"
"Well, most of us were definitely going to do it," Mi-nam teased as the band drifted over to the side table, where drinks and snacks awaited them, "but I don't know about brother-in-law over here."
"Hey, I'm part of this group, too," Tae-kyung reminded him. "Of course I would also be in on this project. Speaking of which," he added, addressing Shin-woo in a less severe tone, "this was a good song that you wrote, Shin-woo. I think it turned out well."
"It turned out well thanks to all of you," the guitarist replied, beaming. "I hope the foundation likes it."
Jeremy bit into a pork bun and looked up suddenly. "Hey, where's the reporter noona?" he wondered, his mouth full.
As one, the boys looked at the engineering booth and sure enough, Reporter Park's usual seat beside Producer Woo was empty. "Maybe she's doing some work for her magazine," Shin-woo said. "She's still writing for them even though she's also writing our book, right?"
"That's probably it," Mi-nam said with a shrug. They had become used to seeing the small figure in black at the studio, but what was the big deal if she occasionally didn't show up?
"Or..." Tae-kyung added, speaking in a low voice so he wouldn't be overheard, "she could be off digging up dirt on us. I know she's been interviewing some of the staffers, like Manager Ma and Coordi-noona Wang."
"Well, they are involved in our lives as a band," Shin-woo reminded him.
"Yes, but the other day, I also saw Reporter Park interviewing some of the fans who hang around outside the agency all the time. Why would she do that if she wants to write about us making an album?"
"Maybe it's because we're not idols if we don't have fans," Jeremy suggested.
"Or maybe she wants to write a tell-all book," Tae-kyung said ominously, "and now she's trying to pry into our personal lives by asking those fans for gossip."
"Why would she do that? President Ahn hired her to do a job," Shin-woo pointed out. "She won't get paid if she doesn't do what she's supposed to."
"She might be able to convince him that a tell-all book would sell better than something about us making an album." He scowled and gave the cap on his water bottle a savage twist. "Or she could be planning to write another book on her own."
The guitarist looked doubtful. "I don't know, Tae-kyung. It all seems a little paranoid to me."
"Wait," Mi-nam said thoughtfully. "Even if she doesn't write that kind of book, brother-in-law has a point. What if the writer asks too many questions and winds up finding out something that could give us problems later on? What if she finds out about the girls?"
Shin-woo paused in the middle of biting into a sandwich, his eyes widening. "Her name did come up that day when I got the letter from the foundation," he recalled. It had been President Ahn who had mentioned it, but he had also said that Shin-woo should call her, implying that they had some kind of connection.
"I haven't said anything about Su-jin while she's around," Jeremy said smugly.
"Maybe you haven't yet," Tae-kyung told him, "but what if you forget next time and start yelling at her about being her boyfriend while Reporter Park is around?"
"Or she could try to follow you while you try to go on a date," Mi-nam added. "The reporters who hang around outside the agency do that to me all the time. Well," he amended, smirking, "they try, anyway."
A tense silence fell on the group. The keyboardist watched his bandmates ponder the things he had just brought up. It was obvious that they hadn't considered the problems of being a celebrity with a serious girlfriend. Mi-nam supposed that he was lucky that he hadn't spent so much time living in the eye of the storm that he'd had some time to actually think of such strategies.
"There's really only one thing we can do," Tae-kyung said finally.
"I'm not breaking up with Su-jin again!" Jeremy declared.
The vocalist shushed him, scowling. "No one said anything about breaking up with anyone. What I meant was we have to be very careful when Reporter Park is around so that she doesn't hear or see anything that'll make her curious."
"Oh, OK. I like that!"
"We can't do anything about her being here," Tae-kyung continued, "so we have to be careful and watch out for each other, too."
"You can give the girls code names," Mi-nam suggested. "That way you can talk about them while she's around without mentioning their names and giving her clues."
"Good idea, Go Mi-nam!" Jeremy said. "Su-jin's name will be Cookie Monster." He nodded decisively.
Mi-nam gave his bandmate a look. "Cookie Monster?" he repeated skeptically. "Really?"
"Why not? Cookie Monster is cute. And I like cookies."
He snorted. "You'd better be ready with that explanation if she ever finds out that her code name is 'Cookie Monster.'"
The blond boy glared at him, but instead of sniping back, asked, "What's Ha-neul's code name going to be, Shin-woo hyung?"
Shin-woo thought about it for a moment. "Batgirl," he said finally.
"Why Batgirl?"
"Just because."
Mi-nam supposed there was a story there, because the guitarist seemed to be having trouble looking anyone in the eye, but figured it wasn't a good idea to pry. "And what about you, brother-in-law?" he asked Tae-kyung. "What's your code name for my sister?"
"That's easy," the vocalist replied. "Mother Teresa."
"What, seriously? Don't get me wrong, Mother Teresa's great and everything, but can't you pick someone prettier?" He and Mi-nyeo looked a lot alike, after all, and Mi-nam didn't want to think that he looked like Mother Teresa, of all people.
Tae-kyung scowled at him. "I'm not choosing a code name for you," he said. "Can we get back to business? Apart from speaking in code, as an added precaution, I think a little distraction is in order...."
It took Mi-nam a while to realize that his bandmates were all looking at him. "What?" he asked blankly.
"We need you, Go Mi-nam," Jeremy told him seriously.
"You're our main line of defense," Shin-woo added.
"What are you talking about? What do I have to do with distractions-" His jaw dropped. "Oh, no. No way."
"You don't have to date Reporter Park," the guitarist assured him. "Just, you know, talk to her and keep her in a good mood, and run interference if it looks like she might find out something she's not supposed to."
"But why me?"
"Well, you read her magazine. Out of all of us, you'd have the most to talk about with her."
"Aren't you always bragging that you're a master at charming the ladies?" Jeremy challenged him. "Now's your chance to prove it."
"Isn't the fact that I go out with a different girl every week enough proof?" Mi-nam retorted.
Tae-kyung arched an eyebrow. "Speaking of girls," he said, "you're also the only one of us who doesn't have a girlfriend. Even though it's all going to be perfectly innocent, you wouldn't want your sister getting the wrong message, do you?"
"And Shin-woo hyung and I can't do it, either," Jeremy added, his expression earnest. "I mean, Batgirl and Cookie Monster aren't related to you, but you wouldn't want them to be hurt, either, right?"
The keyboardist opened his mouth to reply, then shut it again with a frown, realizing that he had been neatly cornered. He definitely didn't want Mi-nyeo worrying about anything, and the other girls were his friends. "All right, I'll do it," he said with a heavy sigh. "Babysitting the writer had better not cramp my style."
Chapter 1: Here's to the Night
Chapter 2: Maneater
Chapter 3: Know Your Enemy
Chapter 4: I Just Wanna Live
Disclaimer: The A.N.JELL-verse belongs to the Hong sisters, creators of You're Beautiful.
Author's Notes: Thanks, as always, to akaironoyoru and lilivanilla1 for reviewing, and to those of you still following this story :) I hope you're enjoying it so far. I'm having a lot of fun writing it, although I'm not looking forward to the coding for Chapter 11 - people will be speaking quite a bit of English, which means lots of italics. Hoo boy. But enough about that. ;) On with the show!
Chapter Five - Shark in the Water (VV Brown)
"Congratulations on finally having your interview, Go Mi-nam!" Jeremy crowed during a break in A.N.JELL's recording session the next day. "You have become a man at last!"
"Oh, please," Mi-nam retorted. "Unlike you, I didn't need to have that interview to become a man."
Shin-woo chuckled. "Well, it's still a good thing you finally got it out of the way. It wasn't so bad, was it?"
"No, hyung, it wasn't." He glanced at the engineering booth, where the writer was deep in conversation with Producer Woo. "She asked some pretty interesting questions. Definitely different from what we usually get asked, that's for sure."
"Did she ask you about what you thought of the rest of us?" Jeremy asked eagerly. "She asked each of us that question. I've been asking Tae-kyung hyung what he said, but he doesn't want to tell me."
"That's because you have to wait until the book comes out," Tae-kyung told him, scowling.
"What did you say about me, Mi-nam?" the blond boy persisted.
The keyboardist was spared from having to tell Jeremy about his interview by the appearance of President Ahn in the engineering booth. He stopped to exchange greetings with Producer Woo and Reporter Park, and then, seeing that the band wasn't currently recording, entered the studio. "Hello, boys!" he said to them. "How is the recording going?"
"Just fine, President Ahn," Tae-kyung assured him. "We're just taking a break right now."
"Did you need anything, sir?" Shin-woo asked.
"I'm glad you asked, Shin-woo," President Ahn replied, presenting him with a thin white envelope. "This came for you by official messenger today."
"For me?" Looking puzzled, the guitarist took the envelope and opened it, withdrawing a single sheet of paper.
"What does it say, hyung?" Jeremy asked, peering at the page.
A happy grin spread across Shin-woo's face as he read his letter. "It's from the Pan Chung-ae Memorial Children's Foundation," he announced. "They've chosen our song for their new sports campaign."
"Really?" Mi-nam asked as Jeremy whooped and shook Shin-woo's shoulders ecstatically. "Awesome."
"That's wonderful," Tae-kyung said with a warm smile. "Congratulations, Shin-woo." Although the guitarist had referred to it as an A.N.JELL song, it was actually one of Shin-woo's compositions.
"Thanks," he answered, still grinning. "I should call-" He caught himself and glanced uncertainly at President Ahn.
The older man smiled. "You should call Ha-neul and let her know the good news," he finished. "After all, she was the one who told you about this opportunity."
He gave a nervous laugh and nodded. "Exactly."
"You might want to do that now," President Ahn suggested. "Producer Woo might want to get back to work soon. As for me, I'm going to give the foundation a call so we can discuss A.N.JELL's involvement in the campaign." He gave Shin-woo a fatherly nod. "Congratulations again."
"Do you think President Ahn knows about the two of you, Shin-woo hyung?" Mi-nam wondered when the manager was gone.
"Yes, he probably does." The guitarist turned red. "He sort of... almost caught us backstage at the last fanmeeting."
"He did?" Mi-nam chuckled. "Well, congratulations. It looks like you've become a man, too."
Oh-lan heard all about the foundation and its campaign from Stylist Wang, who dragged her along on a shopping trip to Itaewon. "I need to buy cool sports gear for the band," the flamboyantly dressed woman said as she strutted down the street, her spike heels clicking noisily. "They're not just going to sing the official song for the campaign, they're going to be in the advertisements, too."
"It's great that A.N.JELL is taking time out of their busy schedules to contribute to a good cause," Oh-lan said, walking briskly to try and keep up. Despite the fact that the stylist was wearing heels, Oh-lan still had to take two strides to each one of hers, and dodge the crowds of tourists milling around. "Of course, they wouldn't be able to do this without your help."
Stylist Wang preened at the compliment. "You know, it's really refreshing to have someone like you recognizing the staff's contributions to A.N.JELL," she said. "Of course, President Ahn is a great boss, but for someone who's not really in the company to care about how we support A.N.JELL...."
"As a reporter, I work behind the scenes, too," Oh-lan pointed out. "I know how it can get sometimes."
"I guess you do." The taller woman smiled. "By the way, Manager Ma told me he's really excited about being interviewed tomorrow."
She smiled. "President Ahn wants the book to be about the making of the new album. The band will tell a big part of that story, but the people around them will have their own points of view and help complete the bigger picture."
They had a pleasant chat about Stylist Wang's duties and experiences as part of the A.N.JELL staff while the woman picked out colorful athletic wear and brand-new badminton equipment for the photo shoot. Then suddenly, a colorful window display caught the stylist's eye. "Ooh, let's go in here!"
There was a mighty yank on her arm and Oh-lan squeaked in surprise. The next thing she knew, she was standing in a forest of trendy clothing. "But these are clothes for women," she said. "You can't find anything for A.N.JELL here."
"I'm not looking for things for them, silly!" Stylist Wang told her. "I want to pick out some things for you!"
"What?"
"Reporter Park, you're a great person, but your outfit has been driving me crazy." She eyed Oh-lan's khaki slacks and dark blazer critically. "What you're wearing looks like a school uniform - and even worse, a boy's school uniform! And that hair!"
"It's a perm; it'll grow out," she replied defensively, even as she thought that Stylist Wang, with her own frizzy mane, didn't have the right to cast stones when it came to hair. "And I can't afford a complete makeover on my salary. You might be used to shopping on an almost-unlimited budget, but I'm not."
"You're not going to throw everything out. That stuff is classic; you just need to mix them more colorful, trendy things for a more interesting look." She prodded Oh-lan critically. "I think you can also afford to wear more form-fitting clothes - you definitely have the body for it!"
Ignoring all protests, Stylist Wang hustled her and an armload of clothing into a fitting room. Before she knew what had happened, Oh-lan found herself at the checkout counter with several pieces that the stylist promised would help revitalize her look. By a stroke of luck, all of it was on sale, too, so she couldn't even argue that they were too expensive.
"Now, your assignment is to blend your new things into your wardrobe," Stylist Wang instructed. "I promise you, it all looks great on you, and now you have to make sure you actually wear them!"
"And what about the hair?" Oh-lan asked, arching a quizzical eyebrow. She hadn't forgotten that the stylist had picked on that, too.
"We'll get to that eventually. Now, don't let all my hard work go to waste! I normally don't give style advice for free, you know!"
Upon getting home that night, Oh-lan spread her new things out on her bed. "What do you think, Genghis?" she asked.
At the sound of his name, a fat gray cat leapt onto the bed to investigate. He sniffed at the clothes, let out an indifferent "Rrroooow," curled up and went to sleep.
She chuckled. "I guess you don't care much about this kind of thing. It doesn't matter what I wear as long as I keep your food and water bowls filled, right?"
Well, to her untrained eye, she supposed that her new purchases were all right. They were a lot more colorful and flashy than she was used to, but they did look nice. Like the good student (and child of college professors) that she was, she was going to take Stylist Wang's assignment seriously and think of ways to mix and match and spice up her wardrobe.
As it happened, Oh-lan also had an opportunity to try out her new look - that night, she was having dinner at her parents' house. That was probably the safest place to wear a new outfit for the first time; if there was anyone who could accept you unconditionally, it was your family, wasn't it?
Nodding decisively, she surveyed the clothing spread out on her bed. Which would she try first? The skirt with large poppies printed all over it?
No, Oh-lan thought, that's too bold. Besides, Genghis is sleeping on it.
The tailored shirt that tied around the waist?
That's for work.
The ruffled red blouse?
She made a face. Too tight. Why did I even buy that in the first place?
Suddenly, it occurred to her that trying out her new look on her parents might not be the best idea. They had always been encouraging of her, but now that she thought about it, neither of them, not even her mother, knew much about fashion (unless it was some sort of historical costume that she would never wear in public).
"I think I'll just wear my usual clothes," she muttered, heading for her closet for a clean shirt and pants.
Oh-lan felt a little ashamed of herself for not going through with Stylist Wang's assignment, but promptly forgot all of that when she arrived at her parents' house in Yongin and her father, Professor Park Chung-il, answered the door. "Oh-lan, you're here!" he said, beaming like a bespectacled moon. "Come in, come in!"
"Hello, Appa," she replied as she entered the house and changed out of her shoes. It felt warm and cozy indoors after the walk in the cool early-autumn evening from the bus stop. Delicious cooking smells danced in the air. "I'm not late, am I?"
"Oh, no! We're just putting the finishing touches on dinner. Yobo, Oh-lan is here!" he called to his wife.
"I know," Professor Han answered, emerging from the back of the house. Like her daughter, she was slender and petite. "I think everyone in Yongin knows."
"Can't a man be glad to see his little girl?"
Oh-lan smiled. "Hi, Omma," she said. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Oh, no, dinner's just about ready," her mother answered. "Come, help us bring it into the dining room."
Dinner wasn't fancy, just rice, grilled pork and some vegetable side dishes, but it was nevertheless a happy meal. With both her parents busy and Oh-lan herself working and living away from home, the family tried to make the most of the increasingly rare occasions that they were all together.
"Your Uncle Chung-ho said that you're very busy writing that book," her father said as he helped himself to some of the pork. "How is it going?"
"I think it's going well," Oh-lan replied. "I've already done a lot of interviews. Everyone has been very cooperative."
"They're not giving you a hard time just because you're a woman?" her mother asked.
She smiled. "No, Omma. I made it very clear from the start that I mean business."
"Good."
"The book isn't really an investigative piece, since I'm being paid to present the band in a certain way," Oh-lan went on, adding some sautéed spinach to the lettuce wrap she was making, "but it's also not far from how they really are so I don't feel as though I'm compromising my integrity as a journalist."
"Just do your best, that's all you need to worry about," Professor Park advised. "Your uncle said he recommended you to the company because you were very bright and one of his best writers."
"Yes, that's what he said when he asked me if I wanted to do it," Oh-lan said with a smile. At work, she and her uncle took care to maintain a strictly professional relationship, so for him to tell her that in a meeting meant a lot. "And I am doing my best. The book is going to turn out great, you'll see."
Meanwhile, back at AN Entertainment, A.N.JELL was putting the finishing touches on "Go For It," the song that Shin-woo had written for the sports campaign being launched by the Pan Chung-ae Memorial Children's Foundation.
Producer Woo gave them a double thumbs-up from the engineering booth as the final note died away. "Great job, A.N.JELL!"
The engineering staff applauded and Shin-woo smiled at his bandmates. "That was really great. Thanks for helping me record the song, guys."
"You don't have to thank us, hyung!" Jeremy got up from behind his drum kit to give the guitarist a high five. "Of course we were going to help you record your song!"
"Well, most of us were definitely going to do it," Mi-nam teased as the band drifted over to the side table, where drinks and snacks awaited them, "but I don't know about brother-in-law over here."
"Hey, I'm part of this group, too," Tae-kyung reminded him. "Of course I would also be in on this project. Speaking of which," he added, addressing Shin-woo in a less severe tone, "this was a good song that you wrote, Shin-woo. I think it turned out well."
"It turned out well thanks to all of you," the guitarist replied, beaming. "I hope the foundation likes it."
Jeremy bit into a pork bun and looked up suddenly. "Hey, where's the reporter noona?" he wondered, his mouth full.
As one, the boys looked at the engineering booth and sure enough, Reporter Park's usual seat beside Producer Woo was empty. "Maybe she's doing some work for her magazine," Shin-woo said. "She's still writing for them even though she's also writing our book, right?"
"That's probably it," Mi-nam said with a shrug. They had become used to seeing the small figure in black at the studio, but what was the big deal if she occasionally didn't show up?
"Or..." Tae-kyung added, speaking in a low voice so he wouldn't be overheard, "she could be off digging up dirt on us. I know she's been interviewing some of the staffers, like Manager Ma and Coordi-noona Wang."
"Well, they are involved in our lives as a band," Shin-woo reminded him.
"Yes, but the other day, I also saw Reporter Park interviewing some of the fans who hang around outside the agency all the time. Why would she do that if she wants to write about us making an album?"
"Maybe it's because we're not idols if we don't have fans," Jeremy suggested.
"Or maybe she wants to write a tell-all book," Tae-kyung said ominously, "and now she's trying to pry into our personal lives by asking those fans for gossip."
"Why would she do that? President Ahn hired her to do a job," Shin-woo pointed out. "She won't get paid if she doesn't do what she's supposed to."
"She might be able to convince him that a tell-all book would sell better than something about us making an album." He scowled and gave the cap on his water bottle a savage twist. "Or she could be planning to write another book on her own."
The guitarist looked doubtful. "I don't know, Tae-kyung. It all seems a little paranoid to me."
"Wait," Mi-nam said thoughtfully. "Even if she doesn't write that kind of book, brother-in-law has a point. What if the writer asks too many questions and winds up finding out something that could give us problems later on? What if she finds out about the girls?"
Shin-woo paused in the middle of biting into a sandwich, his eyes widening. "Her name did come up that day when I got the letter from the foundation," he recalled. It had been President Ahn who had mentioned it, but he had also said that Shin-woo should call her, implying that they had some kind of connection.
"I haven't said anything about Su-jin while she's around," Jeremy said smugly.
"Maybe you haven't yet," Tae-kyung told him, "but what if you forget next time and start yelling at her about being her boyfriend while Reporter Park is around?"
"Or she could try to follow you while you try to go on a date," Mi-nam added. "The reporters who hang around outside the agency do that to me all the time. Well," he amended, smirking, "they try, anyway."
A tense silence fell on the group. The keyboardist watched his bandmates ponder the things he had just brought up. It was obvious that they hadn't considered the problems of being a celebrity with a serious girlfriend. Mi-nam supposed that he was lucky that he hadn't spent so much time living in the eye of the storm that he'd had some time to actually think of such strategies.
"There's really only one thing we can do," Tae-kyung said finally.
"I'm not breaking up with Su-jin again!" Jeremy declared.
The vocalist shushed him, scowling. "No one said anything about breaking up with anyone. What I meant was we have to be very careful when Reporter Park is around so that she doesn't hear or see anything that'll make her curious."
"Oh, OK. I like that!"
"We can't do anything about her being here," Tae-kyung continued, "so we have to be careful and watch out for each other, too."
"You can give the girls code names," Mi-nam suggested. "That way you can talk about them while she's around without mentioning their names and giving her clues."
"Good idea, Go Mi-nam!" Jeremy said. "Su-jin's name will be Cookie Monster." He nodded decisively.
Mi-nam gave his bandmate a look. "Cookie Monster?" he repeated skeptically. "Really?"
"Why not? Cookie Monster is cute. And I like cookies."
He snorted. "You'd better be ready with that explanation if she ever finds out that her code name is 'Cookie Monster.'"
The blond boy glared at him, but instead of sniping back, asked, "What's Ha-neul's code name going to be, Shin-woo hyung?"
Shin-woo thought about it for a moment. "Batgirl," he said finally.
"Why Batgirl?"
"Just because."
Mi-nam supposed there was a story there, because the guitarist seemed to be having trouble looking anyone in the eye, but figured it wasn't a good idea to pry. "And what about you, brother-in-law?" he asked Tae-kyung. "What's your code name for my sister?"
"That's easy," the vocalist replied. "Mother Teresa."
"What, seriously? Don't get me wrong, Mother Teresa's great and everything, but can't you pick someone prettier?" He and Mi-nyeo looked a lot alike, after all, and Mi-nam didn't want to think that he looked like Mother Teresa, of all people.
Tae-kyung scowled at him. "I'm not choosing a code name for you," he said. "Can we get back to business? Apart from speaking in code, as an added precaution, I think a little distraction is in order...."
It took Mi-nam a while to realize that his bandmates were all looking at him. "What?" he asked blankly.
"We need you, Go Mi-nam," Jeremy told him seriously.
"You're our main line of defense," Shin-woo added.
"What are you talking about? What do I have to do with distractions-" His jaw dropped. "Oh, no. No way."
"You don't have to date Reporter Park," the guitarist assured him. "Just, you know, talk to her and keep her in a good mood, and run interference if it looks like she might find out something she's not supposed to."
"But why me?"
"Well, you read her magazine. Out of all of us, you'd have the most to talk about with her."
"Aren't you always bragging that you're a master at charming the ladies?" Jeremy challenged him. "Now's your chance to prove it."
"Isn't the fact that I go out with a different girl every week enough proof?" Mi-nam retorted.
Tae-kyung arched an eyebrow. "Speaking of girls," he said, "you're also the only one of us who doesn't have a girlfriend. Even though it's all going to be perfectly innocent, you wouldn't want your sister getting the wrong message, do you?"
"And Shin-woo hyung and I can't do it, either," Jeremy added, his expression earnest. "I mean, Batgirl and Cookie Monster aren't related to you, but you wouldn't want them to be hurt, either, right?"
The keyboardist opened his mouth to reply, then shut it again with a frown, realizing that he had been neatly cornered. He definitely didn't want Mi-nyeo worrying about anything, and the other girls were his friends. "All right, I'll do it," he said with a heavy sigh. "Babysitting the writer had better not cramp my style."