Inside a cozy apartment, Zee sat on a cream-colored couch with an ice pack resting on her ankle. She reclined with her head tilted back, eyes closed, savoring the thrill of being Kang Min-Jun's personal assistant. She vividly remembered the day he graduated, how she had cried herself to sleep, knowing she would never get to see him in school anymore. Yet here she was, about meeting him up close, a reality she could scarcely believe.
"Argh!" Zee squealed into the cushion, rolling around on the couch, her joy uncontainable. This was too good to be true, and she didn't want to wake up, even if it was just a dream.
In that moment, Zee noticed Ji-a, her best friend and roommate, watching her with an expression that seemed to say, "Are you sure you haven't gone crazy?"
Ignoring Ji-a's incredulous look, Zee sprang up from the couch and rushed toward her, grasping her hands tightly. In her excitement, she momentarily forgot about the pain in her ankle, which had thankfully eased a bit.
"I passed the interview!" she screamed.
Ji-a responded skeptically, "Andwae!"
Zee nodded vigorously. "I really passed, Ji-a."
Ji-a scrutinized Zee's face, searching for any signs of deceit, but Zee only wiggled her eyebrows playfully, dispelling her skepticism. As if on cue, they both burst into excited squeals and jumped around like kids, their joy uncontainable.
"Chukhahae! We should celebrate," Ji-a spoke up amidst their loud squeals.
And just like that, Ji-a flung her bag aside without caring where it landed, getting into the celebratory mood.
Ji-a was truly happy for her best friend because she knew how obsessed Zee was with the actor. It would have devastated her if Zee hadn't passed the interview. Deep down, Ji-a only wished that, soon, very soon, her friend would snap out of this 'fan fanaticism,' as she called it, and start living her life for herself, not just for the actor.
Drinks were brought out from the fridge, the lights were dimmed, disco lights were set up, the mini speaker was plugged in, and the microphone was turned on. It was party time!
Their favorite BTS song, "Dynamite," blasted on the speaker as they sang along and drank canned beers. Zee used the remote control as a microphone while Ji-a grabbed a hairbrush. From time to time, they answered the door as different delivery men repeatedly rang the doorbell. Their once cozy apartment had now been transformed into a mini club, the 'Besties Club,' strictly for Zee and Ji-a.
While enjoying the best time of their lives, Zee noticed her phone ringing and danced over to pick it up, only to freeze when she saw the caller ID: "Dad."
She signaled Ji-a to turn down the music completely before answering. "Hello, Daddy."
"Kedu oge ị ga-alota?" (When are you coming back?) he barked into the phone.
Zee nearly choked on the fried chicken she was munching on as she hit her chest fervently. In all her excitement, she had forgotten. How could she forget? Zee took a gulp from her drink in an attempt to push down the crispy fried chicken that hadn't yet gone down her windpipe.
"Can you hear me, Zioraifechukwu?" her dad asked.
"Eh! Daddy... I... I..." Zee stuttered, unable to form a coherent sentence.
"What! When did you become a stammerer?" her dad queried. "If you don't plan on coming back willingly, I will send people over there to bring you back."
Zee wiped her now-sweaty palms on her dress. "Daddy, I'm working now," she blurted out in a rush.
"You are employed? Since when? Why didn't you tell me about it?" Her dad's voice revealed his confusion.
"I was planning to call today, but you beat me to it. It's a nice job, Dad," Zee assured him.
Her dad wasn't having any of it. "I don't care. I want you home."
Why was her dad so stubborn? Couldn't he just accept her flimsy excuse and give up on her coming home for the time being? It's not like she would never go back. She had been visiting regularly, but now she was reluctant to return to Nigeria because this time it would be permanent. Zee had no plans of leaving—at least not until she had Kang Min-Jun's love. Until then, she would stay.
"But, Dad..." Zee tried protesting but was cut off.
"This wasn't the plan, Zioraifechukwu. We agreed that you would study in Korea, and after finishing your program, you would come back home. I suggest you quit your new job and start preparing to come back."
"But I can't quit," Zee panicked, raising her voice slightly. She could, but she wouldn't—NEVER.
"Why won't you quit the job?" her dad inquired.
"Because... because," Zee's mind raced. "I signed a contract with the company, and if I quit now, I'd have to pay a huge penalty," she lied.
"What?" Her dad screamed, making Zee pull the phone away from her ear to protect her eardrums.
Bringing the phone back to her ear, she said, "It's just a minor clause in the contract to ensure I take the job seriously."
"I don't care about the money. I will pay it immediately. Quit the job!"
Zee felt like crying. Why was her dad always like this? "Daddy, please."
"Please what? What about things here at home? Your family, the company, your mother's business?"
Zee certainly missed her family, but not the family business. She had no intention of becoming a workaholic like her elder brother at such a young age. Of course, her brother loved what he did. He had built his reputation from the ground up and now held one of the top positions in the company in less than two years. Her father had strict work ethics and didn't just hand over the company to family members. He believed in achieving success through hard work.
But Zee didn't see herself taking over her mother's business anytime soon. She still had other objectives—namely, Kang Min-Jun and anything related to him. However, there was a tiny problem: her family, especially her dad, would go crazy if he found out she was so fixated on coming to Korea to chase after a man—an actor who didn't even know she existed. Her dad was staunchly against anyone involved in the entertainment industry and would go ballistic if he found out his only daughter was about to get involved with an actor.
This was why Zee didn't want to give her dad any reasonable doubts. She straightened her priorities at Seoul National University by graduating with honors. Not that her dad would accept her graduating with any less. Her brother, who studied in the UK, graduated with an honorary degree, so why should she do any less? This was the kind of family Zee came from—a family that didn't accept failure.
Zee took deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart. "Daddy, my brother is there to run the company, and Mum isn't planning on retiring now," she finally said.
"Says who? I want your mother and me to stop working and take a break. It's about time we go for a long vacation."
Zee smiled. Her dad could seem difficult, imposing, and strict, but beneath that exterior was a man filled with love. "I don't think Mum would go. You know how much she loves that business."
"That is why I need you here—to reassure her that the business wouldn't fall apart if she takes a break. And I haven't had the chance to show you off to my friends."
Zee tried to ignore the last sentence her dad mumbled to himself but couldn't help asking, "Shey my brother got another promotion?"
She was implying that her Dad should use that as leverage to brag to his friends.
When Zee was little, she noticed her dad's friends were the boastful type, her dad not excluded. Any gathering was a chance to brag about whose business was booming, whose was more popular, and gossip about whose was lagging behind.
Not waiting for a reply, Zee said, "Daddy, I will be home for Christmas. Let's discuss this further when I'm back."
Zee's dad reluctantly agreed, consoling himself with the thought that once Zee returned, it would be permanent. How could those Asians try to steal his precious daughter from him? What could she possibly find appealing in a country so far away?
The call ended after Zee sent her greetings to her mum and brother.
Ji-a, who had been waiting for the call to end, asked instantly, "What?"
"My dad wants me back in Nigeria for good," Zee simply answered.
"Mwo! But you just got employed as Kang Min-Jun's personal assistant. Are you really going to abandon the job and travel back to Nigeria?" Ji-a asked with a sad expression.
"Of course not. The problem has been resolved temporarily, so get rid of that sad face and let's party," Zee said, picking up a slice of pizza and taking a large bite. Nothing was going to ruin her celebratory mood.
Ji-a turned up the music, and soon they were doing their funky dance steps. This night was all about celebrating, and nothing else.
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Andwae—No way
Chukhahae—Informal way of saying congratulations
Shey—Nigeria slang
Mwo—What