I'll Be Good For You, Ch. 1
Fandom: You're Beautiful
Title: I'll Be Good For You, Ch. 1 - Here's to the Night (Eve 6)
Pairings: Mi-nam/OC + pairings from This Above All
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: The A.N.JELL-verse belongs to the Hong sisters, creators of You're Beautiful, and The Housemaid to whoever wrote and produced the movie. The Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Genghis Khan and his mother all belong to themselves. I own Jeremy's last name and everyone you don't recognize.
Author's Notes: I'm back, and we have my continuing state of unemployment to thank for that :-p I can't remember whose fault this is, but someone made this plot bunny attack me, LOL. On the bright side, it means the fun continues! :D Enjoy!
Chapter One - Here's to the Night (Eve 6)
The car came to a stop and sharply taloned hands reached for him in the darkness.
"Good night, oppa..." a voice cooed.
Since he was over this date hours ago, Go Mi-nam let the hands catch him just long enough to plant a brief kiss on the girl's lips before unfastening his seatbelt and hightailing it out of the car. "'Night, In-hee," he said as he slammed the door shut. "Thanks for the ride."
"Hey!" There was a humming sound as the passenger-side window was lowered and his date for the night peered at him through the opening. "You're a top star now. When are you going to get your own car?"
He flashed her his trademark devil-may-care grin. "When you stop giving me rides."
Mi-nam made his way to the front door without another backward glance and heard her drive off as he let himself in. Inside, he found his bandmate Jeremy Maitland standing at the refrigerator, getting himself a snack. "Hey," he greeted the blond boy as he kicked off his shoes. "Isn't it past your bedtime?"
Jeremy looked up in the middle of pouring himself a glass of milk and made a face at him. "You're not the only one who had a date tonight."
"Ooooh." Mi-nam joined him in the kitchen and helped himself to a cookie from the plate on the table. "And how is the lovely Su-jin doing these days? Has she agreed to take you back as her boyfriend yet?"
"No" was the grumpy reply.
Moon Su-jin was Jeremy's on-again, off-again girlfriend. Mi-nam had no idea what was going on with those two, but he did hope that Su-jin would take Jeremy back permanently. She was a cool girl and Jeremy seemed to really like her. Besides, she and his wacky bandmate actually made a good couple.
Of course, he wasn't going to say so out loud. "That's too bad," he said instead. "On the other hand, maybe not. I've been thinking of going after Su-jin myself."
(He wasn't, really; at least, not seriously. Mi-nam just flirted with her sometimes - playfully, so that everyone knew that he was only joking - to tease Jeremy, and maybe get the blond boy to man up and do something to make Su-jin take him back.)
"Well, stop it," Jeremy told him flatly. "You're going after Su-jin over my dead body."
"I had a feeling that was what it was going to take. Don't worry, since I can't play the drums, you get to live a little while longer." Grinning good-naturedly, he tossed the last bite of his cookie up in the air and managed to catch it in his mouth. "'Night."
Mi-nam went upstairs to his bedroom, where he shed his leather jacket and flopped down on his bed. It was very late, but he was too wound up to sleep. He could have stayed longer at the club, but there had been too many so-called reporters hanging around. There wasn't much point in staying.
His eye fell on the picture of his mother smiling at him from his bedside. Tonight, Omma's smile seemed to have a wry twist to it, as if wondering what mischief he had got up to this time. The thought made Mi-nam grin; if she had lived long enough to raise him and his twin sister, Mi-nyeo, she probably would have smiled at him that way a lot.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, dialing Mi-nyeo's number. It was only when she didn't pick up and he got directed to her voice mail service that he remembered that she was probably already fast asleep. Unlike him, his sister was not a musician, although she had the talent for it; rather, she taught pre-school at an orphanage just outside Seoul and wasn't likely to keep the same hours as he. Well, since he was already on the line, he might as well leave her a message anyway.
"Hi, Mi-nyeo, it's me," he said at the tone. "I just wanted to wish you good night, but I guess it's too late for that. I hope you're sleeping well. Don't forget that I'm coming to visit you this weekend - Mother Superior will probably need a warning." He chuckled. "I guess that's it for now. Bye."
The next day appeared to be just like any other day at the AN Entertainment offices. Staffers flashing their ID cards rushed around on official business. Delivery people came and went, bearing important documents or gifts, the latter mostly for A.N.JELL, the biggest name in the agency's stable and Korea's most popular band. Completing the picture were the droves of fans camped outside, hoping to see their idols in person.
"I can't stay very long today," said one fan, a plump girl wearing an angel-wing hairband. "My mother will kill me if she found out I was skipping school again."
"Bite your tongue!" her friend snapped. "You don't think our oppas deserve our time and devotion? Are you a disloyal fan?"
"No... just one who doesn't want to be dead."
Through this busy scene charged a slender, bespectacled young woman. Unheeding of the milling crowds around her, she strode towards the entrance of the building, the heels of her boots clicking purposefully on the pavement. However, before she could even reach the doors, a pair of security guards barred her way. "I have an appointment with President Ahn Sung-chan at eleven-thirty," she said before any of them could speak.
"What kind of business would you have with President Ahn?" the shorter one asked suspiciously.
"It's about a book project," she replied, trying to keep the annoyance from her voice. The guards were only doing their job, she reminded herself, but their zeal just might make her late for her appointment. "I'm the writer that he hired."
The taller guard looked down at her dubiously. (OK, so maybe she was on the short side, but did he really think she was a fan trying to sneak in?) "Could we see some identification?" he asked.
"Honestly..." With an impatient sigh, she reached into her slim computer bag and pulled out her company ID card. Park Oh-lan, it read, next to the pale oval of her face. Reporter, Inside Showbiz Magazine. "I hate to rush things," Oh-lan told the pair, "but you're making me late. Would you like me to call Ms. Jeung so you can check with her whether the President is truly expecting me?"
To her surprise, both security guards backtracked when she mentioned President Ahn's secretary. "Ah... that won't be necessary, miss," said the taller guard, his large Adam's apple moving visibly as he swallowed. "Please, come in."
"Thank you." Without anyone left to stand in her way, Oh-lan entered the building and located the President's office.
The formidable Ms. Jeung was at her desk outside the door. Getting to her feet, the severe-looking woman bowed politely when Oh-lan identified herself. "The President is waiting for you."
"Thank you." She gave the secretary a bow in return, figuring that if she was going to do business with AN Entertainment, then she had to tread carefully around this one.
However, it seemed that she wouldn't have to worry when it came to Ahn Sung-chan himself. In contrast to Ms. Jeung, the head of AN Entertainment was exceedingly gregarious. "Ah, Reporter Park!" he greeted her with an expansive gesture of welcome. "It's an honor to meet you! Please, have a seat! I'm a very big fan of your work," he added as Ms. Jeung made a brief reappearance to bring in a tray of drinks.
"You're too kind, President Ahn," Oh-lan replied modestly. He definitely was; although she regularly wrote articles for Inside Showbiz and had already been given rather challenging assignments, the pieces that appeared in the magazine were far from her best work.
"No, no, no," he told her in English. "I know talent when I see it. After all, I put A.N.JELL together, right?" He chuckled jovially. "Of course, Editor Park recommended you very highly, too. He said you were a true professional, hardworking and very bright."
She smiled wordlessly. Modesty aside, those things were true. However, even if they weren't, there was a chance that Editor Park would still say so; he was Oh-lan's uncle.
"Now, about the project," President Ahn said in a more businesslike tone that prompted Oh-lan to bring out her notepad and pen. "Essentially, I want the book to be about A.N.JELL's creative process and the making of their new album. I want it to show that the boys are maturing into serious musicians."
"Serious musicians," Oh-lan repeated, nodding as she took notes.
"I know that A.N.JELL already stands out from the other idol bands - otherwise, they wouldn't have stayed on top for all these years. But I want the book to show that they have the souls of artists as well."
"I hope I'll be able to do justice to your vision." She hoped she sounded humble, not skeptical. She had interviewed a few idol bands before and thus had some idea of what they were like behind the scenes. However, she was not going to judge A.N.JELL without even meeting them first. Even if they didn't turn out to be the serious, committed musicians that their manager thought they were, she was sure that she could still find a good story to tell.
President Ahn smiled at her. "I have faith that you will. Now, shall we review the contract and discuss the business side of things?"
After her meeting, Oh-lan returned to the Inside Showbiz offices in good spirits. Overall, the A.N.JELL book project seemed to be a win-win proposition for her. Even though her advance wasn't that big because of her status as a fledgling writer, she still had a nice check coming from AN Entertainment in a few weeks and was promised a share of the profits, besides. She would still be writing the occasional article for Inside Showbiz, but most of her time would be spent away from the office and in the field, working on the A.N.JELL book. Best of all, Oh-lan would be credited as the author, which would be a major feather in her cap indeed.
"Back so soon, Reporter Park?" a hateful voice drawled as Oh-lan reached her desk. "How was your little meeting?"
Cursing mentally, she pasted on a bright smile and turned to face the speaker - Kim Soon-ok, a snobby young man several years older than she and one of the senior reporters on the staff. "It went very well, Reporter Kim," she replied sweetly. "Thank you for asking."
"Judging from the smile on your face," he remarked, arching an eyebrow, "it looks like you got yourself a good deal."
"It was very well-negotiated," Oh-lan said diplomatically. She booted up her computer and hoped Soon-ok would shut up. Even though he was a senior, she wasn't sure how much more of his backhanded compliments and inappropriate questions she could take.
Of course, he didn't. "That's great news. Congratulations." Soon-ok smiled, although to her it looked more like a sneer. "It must be nice to have such an extensive network so early in your career."
"Yoo-hoo, Reporter Kim!" another voice called suddenly, sparing Oh-lan from having to think of an answer. Yoon In-jung, one of Inside Showbiz's staff photographers, approached breathlessly, the tips of his spiky bleached-blond hairdo quivering. "Reporter Kim, the pictures from your interview with the cast of The Housemaid are ready. Would you care to look at them and help us choose which ones go best with your article?"
"I'll be right there," the senior reporter answered, and shot Oh-lan a superior look. "I hate to cut this short, Reporter Park, but I'm sure you understand that for the rest of us, the show must go on."
"Of course," she replied in a falsely pleasant voice. "I'm sure your article will be just amazing."
"Don't mind him, noona," In-jung whispered to her when Soon-ok had strutted away towards the photo department. "He's really jealous and telling everyone that you got chosen for the A.N.JELL project because you're related to Editor Park, but we all know better."
Oh-lan gave him a wan smile. "Thanks, In-jung. I'll keep that in mind."
The youthful photographer raised his fists in the "fighting!" gesture before rushing off to help Soon-ok choose pictures.
When In-jung was gone, she undid the tight braid that had contained her uncontrollably wavy hair - the unfortunate result of a bad perm - and massaged her scalp, sighing heavily. She needed to finish a pending assignment in order to start research for the book, but first she had to get rid of the bad mood brought on by exchanging "pleasantries" with her jealous co-worker. Oh-lan reached into her bag and pulled out her cell phone.
Her mother picked up on the third ring. "This is Han Yang-gae," she said, somewhat absently.
"Omma, it's me. Am I calling at a bad time?" Her parents, both professors at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Yongin, routinely gave her their class schedules at the start of the school year, but she tried not to bother them during working hours.
"No, I was just filling out some paperwork. It can wait," Professor Han said, sounding less distracted now. "What is it? How are you?"
"I'm fine. I just wanted to tell you that I signed the contract for the book project today."
"That's wonderful! Your father showed the draft you sent us to Professor Shim from the International Business department, and she said that the terms they gave you were very good. When do you start?"
"As soon as I finish this article I'm working on, I guess," Oh-lan said as she opened the file. "I'll still be doing some work for the magazine, but Uncle Chung-ho said he'll lessen my workload so I can focus on the book."
"That was nice of him. Don't forget to thank him for all these opportunities he's giving you."
"I won't." She paused, glancing around cautiously to make sure no one was eavesdropping, then went on in a hushed voice. "Omma... I'm a little nervous about this project."
"You'll do well," Professor Han assured her, "as always. Didn't your uncle recommend you to the company, out of all his writers?"
"That didn't sit very well with some of the senior reporters."
"Too bad for them," her mother said dismissively. "They're grumbling about nepotism and other such nonsense, aren't they? Has anyone complained to your uncle?"
"Well, no, I don't think so, but-"
"That's because they know that they don't have any firm grounds for complaint, other than the fact that you're Park Chung-ho's niece. Your uncle can always argue that he chose you for your professional behavior and writing skills, both of which you definitely have." A sigh came over the line. "You're a very good writer, Oh-lan. I wish I could go into more detail like your father does, but as you know, literature is his area of expertise, not mine."
She smiled. "Is Appa still in Tokyo?"
"Yes, the conference ends tomorrow. We'll have dinner at home the night after he gets back."
"OK."
"Forget those naysayers," her mother advised her. "You got the job because your uncle has faith in you. Just do your best - that's the only way you can really silence your critics."
"I'll try. Thank you, Omma."
Mother and daughter chatted a little while longer before both had to get back to work. After hanging up, Oh-lan took a deep breath and willed herself to focus on the task at hand. She would finish this piece first, and then she would be free to pour all her energies into making sure the A.N.JELL book project was a success.
And it will be a success, she thought with determination as she twisted her hair into a messy bun and stuck a pen through it to keep the mass in place.
As she always did during times of difficulty, Oh-lan thought about how her name had been inspired by that of the mother of Genghis Khan, who had been the wife of a tribal chief, a mother who had fought to keep her family alive in the wilderness, and one of her son's most trusted advisers. She knew that her name had come about because Professor Han taught Asian history, but when she was feeling down, Oh-lan told herself that she had the same wisdom and strength as her namesake.
Once she was done with this article, she would start work on the A.N.JELL project. She would think very hard about the concept that President Ahn wanted, and do her best to make that vision become a glorious reality. Then the whole world, especially that self-important twit, Soon-ok, would know that she was a good writer.
Title: I'll Be Good For You, Ch. 1 - Here's to the Night (Eve 6)
Pairings: Mi-nam/OC + pairings from This Above All
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: The A.N.JELL-verse belongs to the Hong sisters, creators of You're Beautiful, and The Housemaid to whoever wrote and produced the movie. The Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Genghis Khan and his mother all belong to themselves. I own Jeremy's last name and everyone you don't recognize.
Author's Notes: I'm back, and we have my continuing state of unemployment to thank for that :-p I can't remember whose fault this is, but someone made this plot bunny attack me, LOL. On the bright side, it means the fun continues! :D Enjoy!
Chapter One - Here's to the Night (Eve 6)
The car came to a stop and sharply taloned hands reached for him in the darkness.
"Good night, oppa..." a voice cooed.
Since he was over this date hours ago, Go Mi-nam let the hands catch him just long enough to plant a brief kiss on the girl's lips before unfastening his seatbelt and hightailing it out of the car. "'Night, In-hee," he said as he slammed the door shut. "Thanks for the ride."
"Hey!" There was a humming sound as the passenger-side window was lowered and his date for the night peered at him through the opening. "You're a top star now. When are you going to get your own car?"
He flashed her his trademark devil-may-care grin. "When you stop giving me rides."
Mi-nam made his way to the front door without another backward glance and heard her drive off as he let himself in. Inside, he found his bandmate Jeremy Maitland standing at the refrigerator, getting himself a snack. "Hey," he greeted the blond boy as he kicked off his shoes. "Isn't it past your bedtime?"
Jeremy looked up in the middle of pouring himself a glass of milk and made a face at him. "You're not the only one who had a date tonight."
"Ooooh." Mi-nam joined him in the kitchen and helped himself to a cookie from the plate on the table. "And how is the lovely Su-jin doing these days? Has she agreed to take you back as her boyfriend yet?"
"No" was the grumpy reply.
Moon Su-jin was Jeremy's on-again, off-again girlfriend. Mi-nam had no idea what was going on with those two, but he did hope that Su-jin would take Jeremy back permanently. She was a cool girl and Jeremy seemed to really like her. Besides, she and his wacky bandmate actually made a good couple.
Of course, he wasn't going to say so out loud. "That's too bad," he said instead. "On the other hand, maybe not. I've been thinking of going after Su-jin myself."
(He wasn't, really; at least, not seriously. Mi-nam just flirted with her sometimes - playfully, so that everyone knew that he was only joking - to tease Jeremy, and maybe get the blond boy to man up and do something to make Su-jin take him back.)
"Well, stop it," Jeremy told him flatly. "You're going after Su-jin over my dead body."
"I had a feeling that was what it was going to take. Don't worry, since I can't play the drums, you get to live a little while longer." Grinning good-naturedly, he tossed the last bite of his cookie up in the air and managed to catch it in his mouth. "'Night."
Mi-nam went upstairs to his bedroom, where he shed his leather jacket and flopped down on his bed. It was very late, but he was too wound up to sleep. He could have stayed longer at the club, but there had been too many so-called reporters hanging around. There wasn't much point in staying.
His eye fell on the picture of his mother smiling at him from his bedside. Tonight, Omma's smile seemed to have a wry twist to it, as if wondering what mischief he had got up to this time. The thought made Mi-nam grin; if she had lived long enough to raise him and his twin sister, Mi-nyeo, she probably would have smiled at him that way a lot.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, dialing Mi-nyeo's number. It was only when she didn't pick up and he got directed to her voice mail service that he remembered that she was probably already fast asleep. Unlike him, his sister was not a musician, although she had the talent for it; rather, she taught pre-school at an orphanage just outside Seoul and wasn't likely to keep the same hours as he. Well, since he was already on the line, he might as well leave her a message anyway.
"Hi, Mi-nyeo, it's me," he said at the tone. "I just wanted to wish you good night, but I guess it's too late for that. I hope you're sleeping well. Don't forget that I'm coming to visit you this weekend - Mother Superior will probably need a warning." He chuckled. "I guess that's it for now. Bye."
The next day appeared to be just like any other day at the AN Entertainment offices. Staffers flashing their ID cards rushed around on official business. Delivery people came and went, bearing important documents or gifts, the latter mostly for A.N.JELL, the biggest name in the agency's stable and Korea's most popular band. Completing the picture were the droves of fans camped outside, hoping to see their idols in person.
"I can't stay very long today," said one fan, a plump girl wearing an angel-wing hairband. "My mother will kill me if she found out I was skipping school again."
"Bite your tongue!" her friend snapped. "You don't think our oppas deserve our time and devotion? Are you a disloyal fan?"
"No... just one who doesn't want to be dead."
Through this busy scene charged a slender, bespectacled young woman. Unheeding of the milling crowds around her, she strode towards the entrance of the building, the heels of her boots clicking purposefully on the pavement. However, before she could even reach the doors, a pair of security guards barred her way. "I have an appointment with President Ahn Sung-chan at eleven-thirty," she said before any of them could speak.
"What kind of business would you have with President Ahn?" the shorter one asked suspiciously.
"It's about a book project," she replied, trying to keep the annoyance from her voice. The guards were only doing their job, she reminded herself, but their zeal just might make her late for her appointment. "I'm the writer that he hired."
The taller guard looked down at her dubiously. (OK, so maybe she was on the short side, but did he really think she was a fan trying to sneak in?) "Could we see some identification?" he asked.
"Honestly..." With an impatient sigh, she reached into her slim computer bag and pulled out her company ID card. Park Oh-lan, it read, next to the pale oval of her face. Reporter, Inside Showbiz Magazine. "I hate to rush things," Oh-lan told the pair, "but you're making me late. Would you like me to call Ms. Jeung so you can check with her whether the President is truly expecting me?"
To her surprise, both security guards backtracked when she mentioned President Ahn's secretary. "Ah... that won't be necessary, miss," said the taller guard, his large Adam's apple moving visibly as he swallowed. "Please, come in."
"Thank you." Without anyone left to stand in her way, Oh-lan entered the building and located the President's office.
The formidable Ms. Jeung was at her desk outside the door. Getting to her feet, the severe-looking woman bowed politely when Oh-lan identified herself. "The President is waiting for you."
"Thank you." She gave the secretary a bow in return, figuring that if she was going to do business with AN Entertainment, then she had to tread carefully around this one.
However, it seemed that she wouldn't have to worry when it came to Ahn Sung-chan himself. In contrast to Ms. Jeung, the head of AN Entertainment was exceedingly gregarious. "Ah, Reporter Park!" he greeted her with an expansive gesture of welcome. "It's an honor to meet you! Please, have a seat! I'm a very big fan of your work," he added as Ms. Jeung made a brief reappearance to bring in a tray of drinks.
"You're too kind, President Ahn," Oh-lan replied modestly. He definitely was; although she regularly wrote articles for Inside Showbiz and had already been given rather challenging assignments, the pieces that appeared in the magazine were far from her best work.
"No, no, no," he told her in English. "I know talent when I see it. After all, I put A.N.JELL together, right?" He chuckled jovially. "Of course, Editor Park recommended you very highly, too. He said you were a true professional, hardworking and very bright."
She smiled wordlessly. Modesty aside, those things were true. However, even if they weren't, there was a chance that Editor Park would still say so; he was Oh-lan's uncle.
"Now, about the project," President Ahn said in a more businesslike tone that prompted Oh-lan to bring out her notepad and pen. "Essentially, I want the book to be about A.N.JELL's creative process and the making of their new album. I want it to show that the boys are maturing into serious musicians."
"Serious musicians," Oh-lan repeated, nodding as she took notes.
"I know that A.N.JELL already stands out from the other idol bands - otherwise, they wouldn't have stayed on top for all these years. But I want the book to show that they have the souls of artists as well."
"I hope I'll be able to do justice to your vision." She hoped she sounded humble, not skeptical. She had interviewed a few idol bands before and thus had some idea of what they were like behind the scenes. However, she was not going to judge A.N.JELL without even meeting them first. Even if they didn't turn out to be the serious, committed musicians that their manager thought they were, she was sure that she could still find a good story to tell.
President Ahn smiled at her. "I have faith that you will. Now, shall we review the contract and discuss the business side of things?"
After her meeting, Oh-lan returned to the Inside Showbiz offices in good spirits. Overall, the A.N.JELL book project seemed to be a win-win proposition for her. Even though her advance wasn't that big because of her status as a fledgling writer, she still had a nice check coming from AN Entertainment in a few weeks and was promised a share of the profits, besides. She would still be writing the occasional article for Inside Showbiz, but most of her time would be spent away from the office and in the field, working on the A.N.JELL book. Best of all, Oh-lan would be credited as the author, which would be a major feather in her cap indeed.
"Back so soon, Reporter Park?" a hateful voice drawled as Oh-lan reached her desk. "How was your little meeting?"
Cursing mentally, she pasted on a bright smile and turned to face the speaker - Kim Soon-ok, a snobby young man several years older than she and one of the senior reporters on the staff. "It went very well, Reporter Kim," she replied sweetly. "Thank you for asking."
"Judging from the smile on your face," he remarked, arching an eyebrow, "it looks like you got yourself a good deal."
"It was very well-negotiated," Oh-lan said diplomatically. She booted up her computer and hoped Soon-ok would shut up. Even though he was a senior, she wasn't sure how much more of his backhanded compliments and inappropriate questions she could take.
Of course, he didn't. "That's great news. Congratulations." Soon-ok smiled, although to her it looked more like a sneer. "It must be nice to have such an extensive network so early in your career."
"Yoo-hoo, Reporter Kim!" another voice called suddenly, sparing Oh-lan from having to think of an answer. Yoon In-jung, one of Inside Showbiz's staff photographers, approached breathlessly, the tips of his spiky bleached-blond hairdo quivering. "Reporter Kim, the pictures from your interview with the cast of The Housemaid are ready. Would you care to look at them and help us choose which ones go best with your article?"
"I'll be right there," the senior reporter answered, and shot Oh-lan a superior look. "I hate to cut this short, Reporter Park, but I'm sure you understand that for the rest of us, the show must go on."
"Of course," she replied in a falsely pleasant voice. "I'm sure your article will be just amazing."
"Don't mind him, noona," In-jung whispered to her when Soon-ok had strutted away towards the photo department. "He's really jealous and telling everyone that you got chosen for the A.N.JELL project because you're related to Editor Park, but we all know better."
Oh-lan gave him a wan smile. "Thanks, In-jung. I'll keep that in mind."
The youthful photographer raised his fists in the "fighting!" gesture before rushing off to help Soon-ok choose pictures.
When In-jung was gone, she undid the tight braid that had contained her uncontrollably wavy hair - the unfortunate result of a bad perm - and massaged her scalp, sighing heavily. She needed to finish a pending assignment in order to start research for the book, but first she had to get rid of the bad mood brought on by exchanging "pleasantries" with her jealous co-worker. Oh-lan reached into her bag and pulled out her cell phone.
Her mother picked up on the third ring. "This is Han Yang-gae," she said, somewhat absently.
"Omma, it's me. Am I calling at a bad time?" Her parents, both professors at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Yongin, routinely gave her their class schedules at the start of the school year, but she tried not to bother them during working hours.
"No, I was just filling out some paperwork. It can wait," Professor Han said, sounding less distracted now. "What is it? How are you?"
"I'm fine. I just wanted to tell you that I signed the contract for the book project today."
"That's wonderful! Your father showed the draft you sent us to Professor Shim from the International Business department, and she said that the terms they gave you were very good. When do you start?"
"As soon as I finish this article I'm working on, I guess," Oh-lan said as she opened the file. "I'll still be doing some work for the magazine, but Uncle Chung-ho said he'll lessen my workload so I can focus on the book."
"That was nice of him. Don't forget to thank him for all these opportunities he's giving you."
"I won't." She paused, glancing around cautiously to make sure no one was eavesdropping, then went on in a hushed voice. "Omma... I'm a little nervous about this project."
"You'll do well," Professor Han assured her, "as always. Didn't your uncle recommend you to the company, out of all his writers?"
"That didn't sit very well with some of the senior reporters."
"Too bad for them," her mother said dismissively. "They're grumbling about nepotism and other such nonsense, aren't they? Has anyone complained to your uncle?"
"Well, no, I don't think so, but-"
"That's because they know that they don't have any firm grounds for complaint, other than the fact that you're Park Chung-ho's niece. Your uncle can always argue that he chose you for your professional behavior and writing skills, both of which you definitely have." A sigh came over the line. "You're a very good writer, Oh-lan. I wish I could go into more detail like your father does, but as you know, literature is his area of expertise, not mine."
She smiled. "Is Appa still in Tokyo?"
"Yes, the conference ends tomorrow. We'll have dinner at home the night after he gets back."
"OK."
"Forget those naysayers," her mother advised her. "You got the job because your uncle has faith in you. Just do your best - that's the only way you can really silence your critics."
"I'll try. Thank you, Omma."
Mother and daughter chatted a little while longer before both had to get back to work. After hanging up, Oh-lan took a deep breath and willed herself to focus on the task at hand. She would finish this piece first, and then she would be free to pour all her energies into making sure the A.N.JELL book project was a success.
And it will be a success, she thought with determination as she twisted her hair into a messy bun and stuck a pen through it to keep the mass in place.
As she always did during times of difficulty, Oh-lan thought about how her name had been inspired by that of the mother of Genghis Khan, who had been the wife of a tribal chief, a mother who had fought to keep her family alive in the wilderness, and one of her son's most trusted advisers. She knew that her name had come about because Professor Han taught Asian history, but when she was feeling down, Oh-lan told herself that she had the same wisdom and strength as her namesake.
Once she was done with this article, she would start work on the A.N.JELL project. She would think very hard about the concept that President Ahn wanted, and do her best to make that vision become a glorious reality. Then the whole world, especially that self-important twit, Soon-ok, would know that she was a good writer.