Shun’s eyes widened and he furrowed his brows.
“I know,” he offered a smile to his viewers, “I need some time to myself. I have come to understand something about me. I hope you all will be patient.”
He wondered what Jin was doing and what it was the idol found out. He was itching to ask, to reach out, but he worried. Suu Jin wouldn’t like it. The idol prince hated him.
He listened to Jin sing and smiled, lulled by the sweet angelic tone. Suddenly, Jin began coughing and wheezing, causing his heart to clench. Shun tightened the phone and placed his other hand against the wall to help him stay standing. Suu Jin offered a smile and apologized before going offline. Shun slid down to the floor and his hands were shaking.
His heart was pounding and his mind was running with thoughts, so many he was having a hard time thinking straight. Dialing his number, Shun waited with his heart beating out of his throat.
“Hello?”
“…”
“Ah Shun?”
“…”
He… What was he thinking?! Hanging up, he covered his face and wanted to scream. Jin… Jin knew it was him, but didn’t sound angry. Maybe… maybe the idol prince didn’t hate him?
‘I am so confused,’ he rubbed his face and leaned his head back.
The door opened and he looked to see Gina exiting with her hair strayed. She looked at him and he looked at her. Gina fixed her clothes and hair before walking away. Shun shook his head and stood up, walking out of the building with a heavy heart.
As Shun returned to his prison, Suu Jin was in his home.
“Ah Shun, you still worry for me,” the pinkette found his lips curling, “Is what they say true then?”
He ate his soup and smiled.
“You still love me…”
==
The reporter sat in her room, her current office, looking through her photos. She had not had an office space like the other reporters, nor did she work in a company. She was her OWN company! No one was going to boss her around again.
After speaking with the well-known managers, she found her lips pursed at what she heard.
[They had sat at a table in the corner outside to feel the coolness of the ocean breeze. She was curious as to what was going to be told to her. They had stated it was going to be juicy, one that could make break her into a real celebrity journalist.
“Let’s get started,” she placed the tape recorder on the table.
“No recordings,” Manager Quang stated glaring at her.
“Fine,” she frowned and crossed her arms putting the recorder in her pocket, “Tell me what this news could be that got me two of the top managers out here with me.”
“Ms. Allie,” Manager Bon started, “You do not have the best reputation, but you are good at what you do. You’ve found out where my girls are unannounced and seemed to know where Suu Jin goes to. You are quite resourceful. Makes me wonder how you knew.”
“I have my sources,” Allie stated with a smirk, “I won’t reveal them.”
“I am glad to hear that,” Manager Bon thanked the waiter who brough them their orders and left, “I hope you can do the same for us.”
“Of course,” she nodded and took a sip of her water.
“Good,” Manager Quang nodded, “Jinny is not Gina.”
Allie paused in biting into her salad. She glanced at both managers, moving her sharp brown eyes from one to the other. She sat back and narrowed her eyes slightly.
“Proof?”
“Do you need any?” The man tsked, “Just look at the pictures, it is obvious that girl is lying.”
She hummed and leaned back, glancing at both managers. Them wanting to her to prove that Gina was not Jinny was not something unheard of in the industry, but why? What was the point in uncovering the truth? Was it for Xiong Shun, Manager Bon’s former client or Manager Yaotzu’s famous client? Both maybe?
“Going through all this to see me… You must know who Jinny is, am I right?” She quirked her brow and went back to eating her salad.
“Hm,” Manager Bon hummed and swallowed her food in her mouth, “My offer, Ms. Allie, is you will have first priority of any of my clients to interview and all new promotions and announcement will go to you. Does that sound good?”
“And Suu Jin?” She questioned glancing at the man, “I want him too. He brings a lot of traffic and if I don’t have him too, then I will not go along with this smear campaign against Gina. I do have integrity.”
“No,” Manager Yaotzu frowned, “You will not have priority since I already have another, but… you will be the second person. That is all I can offer,” he frowned deeper, “If you do not accept, there are plenty others we could ask.”]
Allie knew that was true. Back in her room, she let out a sigh. She crossed her arms and leaned back, closing her eyes to assess the situation. If she were to take this on, she could skyrocket her career and even become an investigative journalist. She would be rewarded by getting top clients for her to work with, and that only meant she would have more than enough news to give.
Only problem, she would be defiling Gina’s reputation.
“Gina, what did you do to everyone to be so hated?” She wondered. All she knew was the female had wronged the idol prince. Taking out her tape recorder, she played the conversation with the managers. What? Could anyone blame her for wanting evidence? She scribed it onto her document on the computer and a thought swirled in her head.
She reached into her locked drawer in her desk to unlock it. She pulled out a picture, one taken from the photobooth and stared.
“Interesting…”
‘Here I thought no one would notice,’ she twirled the photo and stared at the blonde, ‘Jinny.’