Chapter 115：Suddenly Famous

While Takeshi is busy taking an advertisement shot, in Taiwan Xiao Ping is at the bicycle park, just said goodbye to Xu Qian then unlocking her bicycle. When she reaches at the school gate, suddenly a couple of men approach her. It is so sudden that she lets a scream due to surprised.

"Are you Yuan Tai Ping ? We are reporter," one of the men speaks. He is thin and tall with sharp eyes. His friend also thin but at an average height, busy taking Xiao Ping's picture with his camera. "What ?! Yes I am.. Please don't take picture!! Help!!" Xiao Ping shouts while covering her face with hands. The school security comes. "Hey, what are you guys doing ?!" the security shouts. "No.. we're just.." the tall guy is trying to explain but the security is quick to hold them while telling Xiao Ping to leave. Without taking more time, Xiao Ping rides her bicycle as fast as she can.

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"Look, sis, you are famous!" Xiao Lan cheerfully shouts from the living room. "What ?!" Xiao Ping who is still preparing for school jumps from her seat to surprise and rush to the living room. Her family has gathered there. Her mother surprised look, her father sour expression, and her brother joyful face all are focused into a point on the newspaper being held by her father. She comes closer to see the news.

Only a small two columns article with a picture of her side face, her hand covered a part of her face but still not hiding her features. The title is somewhat provocative "Yuan Tai Ping, The Reason Hasegawa Takeshi Left Kin Momoji, Inc. ?" while the article actually is not very informative and full of sumption. It doesn't even state that she is Takeshi's girlfriend. It only says that according to a resource, she was hospitalized at the same hospital and date with Takeshi had came to.

"Isn't Hasegawa Takeshi the one you idolize, sis ?" Xiao Lan asks. Xiao Ping nods. "So.. is it true ?" Xiao Lan asks again. Xiao Ping looks to her father. "Aiyo, Xiao Lan. It is a gossip section. You don't need to bother thinking about it," Mr. Yuan answers for his daughter. "It's true. You better concern about your final exam. Have you prepared yourself ?" Mrs. Yuan adds. Xiao Lan pouts but still nodding to answer his mother's question. Mr. Yuan pets Xiao Ping's shoulder and whispers comforting words to calm her down.

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"What should I do ?" Xiao Ping asks Takeshi on the chat window. It is two days after the first article about her. Today there were another article from another newspaper writing that according to her friend it is true that she is Takeshi's girlfriend. Xiao Ping admitted to her friend herself. She knows who is the friend the paper talked about. Er Hua.

"Can't you just refuse them ?" Takeshi asks to suggest. As the result of those articles, she is now suddenly famous. The director of a TV station where her father works on asked him to make an exclusive interview with her. "I can't risk my father's job," Xiao Ping answers. Takeshi sighs but understands.

"I still think it is the best for you to just deny it straight forward," Takeshi types after thinking for few minutes. "And keep our relationship a secret ?" Xiao Ping responds. At first there was a word 'again' in the end, but she deleted it. "It is really for your best. I really will have nothing to lose if you expose yourself. But you.." Takeshi ripples his forehead in worry. "I don't know how aggressive the medias at Taiwan, and I don't know how mad are my Taiwanese friends.." Xiao Ping sends a smile emoji. "I will be alright," she types. "It is a risk of being idol's girlfriend anyway," she adds a kiss emoji that skips a chuckle from Takeshi's lips.

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So there Xiao Ping is, a day after her conversation with Takeshi, waiting alone in a waiting room. Her face is already fully make up, wearing her usual outfit T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. She can hear vaguely a woman and a man's voices from a room behind the wall. She will be in that room few minutes from now. She squeezes her trembling hand, links her fingers and blows a warm breath to her cold hands.

"Come one," a lady with a friendly face shows from the door, invites Xiao Ping to follow her. She obeys, tailing her as the lady talks to her headset. Soon she opens a door and guides Xiao Ping to enter.

The room she's in right now is not too big, but bright with some cameras facing a small stage that has long curvy table in the center. Xiao Ping walks toward the stage. She is then shaking hands with both presenters, whose names she can not remember, then asked to sit on the empty chair.

"Don't be nervous," the female presenter gives her a sweet smile then squeezes her arm gentle. The man upward them is giving hand signal as a count down, "5..4..3..2.."

"We're back again in 下午更新 (xia wu geng xin - noon update). With us now is a pretty and cute girl that lately become a sudden talk especially to fans of Japanese idol Hasegawa Takeshi. Yes she is Yuan Tai Ping," the male presenter says an introduction. All cameras are facing Xiao Ping. She becomes more nervous, can only make a small nod and presses her lips into a thin smile.

"Thank you for coming Yuan Tai Ping," the female presenter says sweetly. "How old are you ? Aren't you suppose to be in school ?"

Xiao Ping is twisting end of her T-shirt in nervous. "Xiao Ping.. ?" the male presenter calls her with a sweet voice. "Y..Y..ye..yes," she answers in stammered. "Yes ?" the female presenter raises eyebrows. Xiao Ping closes her eyes while taking a deep inhale.

"Yes, it's true. I am Takeshi Hasegawa's girlfriend," Xiao Ping admits with steady and clear voice.