Chapter 1

It was a quiet weekday afternoon on a street in Samcheong-dong.

A wooden sign that read “Cafe, Aroma of Love” was hanging in front of a cafe. A man and a woman were standing in front of the cafe with a tense atmosphere - an obvious contrast to their peaceful surroundings.

The woman was Yoo Jihee, assistant manager at a movie PR company, and the man was Oh Heegeon, manager of superstar actor Seo Kang.

With a sharp look in her eyes, the woman threw the man a question.

“You already went through these thoroughly, didn’t you? Why do we need to omit these now?”

Tell me now. Come on.

They were about to start shooting an interview for the show “Let’s Chat Movies” with actor Seo Kang, the lead in the movie Delusion. That was, until Seo Kang’s manager urgently pulled Jihee aside, asking - actually, demanding - the PR rep to omit some interview questions that had supposedly already been cleared and confirmed the night before.

Even the producers at “Let’s Chat Movies” have given the OK, and now he wants to start the process all over again?

This wasn’t something that could be solved with an apologetic attitude. That kind of thing was bound to put a scratch on a marketer’s reputation, but above all else, the questions he was asking to take out were the most important questions for the film’s campaign.

When was your first love, when was your first kiss, what is your ideal type of woman, an Ideal Type World Cup - OK, yes, Jihee was fully aware that those questions were cheesy and forced, but they were standard! And all those goddamned “celebs” were always slipping their way out of these questions with vague, scripted answers anyway.

The point was, to get an answer to one of those stupid questions from a superstar of Seo Kang’s level was sure to create buzz.

Oh Heegeon’s face mellowed a bit as he scratched his head.

“It’s just that Kang hyung (older brother) said those questions are problematic...”

Kang hyung? Judging by his face one would have been sure he was the older one but...guess not.

“Problematic? You mean to say he just doesn’t want to answer those questions.”

Seo Kang was rumored to have an abnormal... fussy personality.

“Well... if you could just omit those...”

“If you want to take all of these out, then what are we supposed to ask?”

“Anything related to the movie.”

“Oh, sure. So he can just keep regurgitating the movie synopsis and character description. Now that’s quality content, isn’t it? We’ll all be witnesses to the nation’s biggest superstar Seo Kang being edited out of his own boring interview.”

The same answers would overlap from this interview and that interview - if he just repeated himself over and over again, so much would be cut out that there would be nothing left.

Heegeon went from scratching his head to pounding his head. And pretty forcefully, too.

“Ah... then why don’t you try convincing him? Dealing with him isn’t easy for me either.”

A manager who couldn’t handle his own actor. Just how big of a pain in the ass is this guy?

A scornful prejudice took over Jihee’s whole body. Perhaps because she’d dealt with many divas and actors during her career.

“If I take this into my own hands... doesn’t it put you in an awkward position?”

Filing a complaint directly to a superstar, with his manager standing there in plain sight? Jihee was known to be audacious in these parts, but this one stopped her in her tracks for a moment.

Heegeon, as if suddenly enlightened or transcended into sainthood, decided to declare his surrender.

“I am already in an uncomfortable position between the two of you. Kang hyung has already told me what he wants, and now it’s your turn. You two need to hash it out directly. I’m happy to go with whatever you guys decide.”

So that’s how it’s going to be? Jihee let out a big sigh, albeit quietly, then headed back towards the cafe.

The TV crew was already setting up four cameras and three lights. How inconveniently on time they were.

Seo Kang was enjoying a cup of coffee in the corner of the room, probably oblivious of the petty yet intense feud that just went down with his manager.

A mere sip of his coffee and he somehow teleported the entire room into one of his dreamy commercials. I’m sure I saw a news article somewhere saying he’s worth a million dollars per commercial. I guess this must be his million-dollar aura.

Jihee was slowly making her way toward the million-dollar man when she suddenly thought- no, actually, the thought forced its way into her head.

He’s so... handsome.

She could see the robust manliness that he showcased playing a criminal detective in the movie I’m Gonna Get You, as well as an undeniable beauty that could surpass that of any woman and had audiences raving during his role as a homosexual in the film Madame.

To be masculine and pretty at the same time. These two elements curiously yet harmoniously lived on Seo Kang’s face.

This fine, beautiful man always left the cameras hungry for more.

That was not all. He started as a child actor but had the height and body that put models to shame, to the point where he should get on his knees and apologize to those people for taking away their jobs.

Consequently, Jihee, who was a mad sucker for good-looking men, felt her heart slowly melt as she got closer.

Since working in film PR, she had come across all the biggest superstars in Korea at least once, whether it was from close or afar. She was now at a place where any A-list actor wouldn’t phase her the least bit. Or so she thought.

Were all the celebrities she had come across so far not the real thing? Was this person just on another level?

She continued to make the ascent towards him, her knees weakening. She could feel herself being overpowered- no, absolutely crushed- by Seo Kang’s superstar aura.

But stepping into this new territory was not so simple. With all her might and focus, she made the ascent towards Nirvana. She couldn’t feel intimidated before the battle had even started. This was a fight she needed to win.

If I screw up these interview questions, then I will forever be blacklisted by these people. This is all because of that manager who lied to me about getting the OK from Seo Kang yesterday when he didn’t, while this man here is making my life difficult by making a big deal out of these innocuous questions.

“Mr. Seo Kang?” Jihee called out to him.

His seated posture and crossed legs had “ego, ego, ego” written all over it.

Though he was seated, he was so incredibly tall that were basically at eye level. Jihee had to lower her head just a little bit to meet his eyes. His mysterious and deep eyes.

“Yes.”

His answer was plain and simple. No MSG.

Jihee turned on her sweet, sweet eyes, layered with a look of, I’m in a serious pickle right now and really need you to help me out.

“Asking to omit the interview questions right before we start shooting is really going to throw off the TV crew. It throws me into a bad position as well. Would there be any way... to keep these questions?”

Jihee pulled out the interview script that had been heavily marked up.

Thankfully, the set was noisy enough that other people couldn’t hear what she was saying.

Seo Kang’s eyes shot past the script, past Jihee’s shoulder, and straight toward his manager who was standing at a distance.

You can’t even handle this on your own? his eyes asked scornfully.

Seo Kang opened his lips to let out a low voice that was as pure and soothing as fresh air from the mountains.

“I’m sorry but this is the way it has to be,” his voice resonated like a cave within those mountains.

“Oh... are they really that uncomfortable? Then, how about, instead of omitting this entire section, we just take out one or two... or three? Just the ones you are most uncomfortable with.”

Wow, I’m such a pushover. Jihee quickly went from “one or two” to “three” thanks to Seo Kang’s uncomfortable gaze.

Clang Clang! It was as if knives were hitting against each other in a quiet but heated feud between Seo Kang and Jihee’s eyes.

Seo Kang’s lips were pursed into the same fake smile seen on most celebrities, yet his eyes were completely honest - honest enough to sense his deep annoyance, at least. Does he not know how to act when not in front of a camera? Or is he actually acting right now?

“Sorry, but I’d really like for you to omit them.”

Not a sliver of possibility left for compromise. He kept repeating the same words like a broken record.

This is why I can’t let go of my prejudice. Should I at least be thankful that he didn’t just say “Please take it up with my manager” and dismiss me?

“With all due respect, may I ask why? I need something to tell production... a reasonable excuse at least. Something justifiable.”

“It’s my personal life.”

What’s the big fuss about your first love or an Ideal Type World Cup? Do celebrities ever get sick of massaging their big egos?

“Well, the question about your first love... everyone usually glosses over it with a joke. You are so well spoken and witty, it shouldn’t be too difficult...”

Jihee didn’t forget to up the flattery in her eyes.

So damn hard to make a living in this world. And why was the producer so damn good at following protocol? They could have just thrown in the question about his first love as a wild card instead of writing it in the script.

Then Seo Kang would have made a bigger fuss, I’m sure.

Sigh, here I am blaming it on the producer now. I mean, if we’re really talking about blame, it’s the manager’s fault for lying about having gotten the questions confirmed yesterday.

It seemed no matter how hard Jihee amped up the sugar and flattery, Seo Kang’s eyes remained ice cold.

I almost called him “Ice Prince...” - ugh, you are such a sucker, Jihee!

But then.

“Please. Take. It. Out.”

She could almost see the water vapor coming out of the Ice Prince’s mouth because his words were so chilling.

You can bend me, but I will never break.

Why? What was the reason? Was it because of the rumors of his notorious dating life? He openly dated other female actresses a few times, and there were always tabloids reporting about the women he supposedly saw. Was he trying to clean up his reputation?

It’s too late, honey. Those eyes are far from innocent.

As far from innocent as those eyes were, Jihee did not look away.

Seo Kang kept looking at this woman’s eyes, eyes that were shaped like a crescent moon, eyes that held the sharpness of silver daggers. And he thought about how there had never been a woman who hadn’t avoided his chilling gaze.

Perhaps it was the energy in his eyes, but when his eyes were filled with emotion, women would not be able to hold eye contact. In front of the camera, maybe, but off-camera, definitely not.

But this woman was steadfast. A sudden fatigue came over him. Why were they shoving this “first love” nonsense down his throat, and why did they have to include “Kim Yuha” in the Ideal Type World Cup.

The tension between the two didn’t look like it would cool down any time soon.

“Well...” Jihee finally said something to end the silent war.

She bent forward at the waist to show him the script once again, when a crew member passing behind Jihee accidentally pushed her from the back with a tripod.

Tap.

It was a fairly light ‘tap,’ but for Jihee, who was bending over, that light ‘tap’ initiated a mighty butterfly effect.

“Oops.”

Jihee fell hard in Seo Kang’s direction.

She tried to catch herself by grabbing onto his shoulders, but during that split second, his shoulders felt as far and high up as the tip of Mount Everest.

Unaware at which point he had uncrossed legs, she ended up falling face down and gripping onto each of his thighs. Her knees hit the floor.

Now the problem... the problem was that Jihee’s final destination was in-between Seo Kang’s legs.

One can point out, right in the middle of the Han River Bridge and Mapo Bridge, about where Wonhyo Bridge is? Anyway, she landed somewhere between Seo Kang’s bridges.

But the bigger problem was that her head- actually, her face- crash landed right in between Seo Kang’s bridges. Jihee’s face landed at Wonhyo Bridge.

Splat.