The next day at JK Entertainment, Zee sat with Manager Park in his office as he briefed her on Kang Min-Jun's schedule. After a few minutes, the door swung open, and Kang Min-Jun walked in, exuding style and confidence in a silk black shirt and matching trousers. A black face mask covered half of his face, and oversized black sunglasses shielded his eyes.
Zee's heart raced as she took in his graceful movements. However, she frowned at the sunglasses and mask, which prevented her from getting a full view of the face that had captured her heart. She understood that celebrities used such disguises to maintain their privacy, but it left her unsatisfied. It had been exactly three years, nine months, and nineteen days since she had last seen him in person, aside from on TV, banners, and posters. The urge to rush at him was almost overwhelming.
Every nerve in her body was on edge, and goosebumps crept up her arms as she fought to restrain herself. Rushing up to a celebrity and clenching him tightly without permission was a foolproof method to make a terrible impression. Was the room unusually hot or was it was just her?
Min-Jun bowed to Manager Park before settling onto the plush couch and crossing his legs. He picked up a magazine from the pile on the table and began flipping through it, completely ignoring the other presence in the room.
Zee's heart sank. For the first time, she wanted someone to notice her, even if it was just because of her different skin color. But Kang Min-Jun didn't spare her a glance. He acted as though she were just another piece of furniture in the room, perhaps a decorative vase.
"Min-Jun, you are just in time," Manager Park said, jolting Zee from her thoughts. "This is your new personal assistant," he announced.
Min-Jun slowly looked up from the magazine, and finally, his gaze fell on Zee. His brow furrowed, and a frown appeared on his face, though it was partially hidden by the mask.
Zee's heart raced, and she felt as though she might faint, but she gathered every ounce of strength to keep their first meeting from being a disaster.
"Annyeonghaseyo, I'm Zee. Nice to meet you," she said, bowing enthusiastically and offering him her sweetest smile. But her smile faltered as soon as Min-Jun spoke.
"What is she?" Min-Jun asked distastefully.
Zee was taken aback by his choice of words. What did he mean by "what is she"? She knew he was already aware of her position since Manager Park had mentioned it earlier. His remark seemed like a direct expression of dislike, as though he was repulsed by her.
Min-Jun continued to scrutinize her, his gaze filled with disdain. "Find someone else, Manager Park, because I won't allow this...this..." He looked her up and down, unable to find a word to describe his disdain.
Manager Park cleared his throat awkwardly. "There is no one else qualified for this position."
Manager Park was accustomed to Min-Jun's tantrums but hoped he wouldn't push it too far and make Zee quit immediately. He was weary of frequent interviews and wondered if he should have made her sign a minor clause in her contract. Despite his concern, Zee seemed to be handling the situation better than others had before her, or so he thought.
"What! That means I'm stuck with this thing. What is wrong with her? Why is she as dark as my shoes? Is she suffering from some kind of disease?" He spoke coldly.
At that moment, Zee's perception of Kang Min-Jun being amiable and humble was shattered. Her heart pounded, not from excitement, but from fear and shock.
Unable to stand by and let him insult her, she spoke up. "I have a name, Zee, and I shouldn't be called a thing. There is nothing wrong with me, nor am I suffering from any disease. I'm perfectly fine. And haven't you seen an African before?"
Min-Jun's eyes narrowed at her response. Did she just mock him? And what was with that tone?
Infuriated, he snapped, "her attitude is unacceptable. Manager Park, I refuse to have her as my personal assistant."
"Min-Jun, you are stuck with her unless you can clean up the mess left by your former assistant," Manager Park said matter-of-factly.
The defaming news about him was still all over the internet and it was still making headlines, despite numerous attempts to suppress and threaten the press. An unidentified source had evasively taken the picture of Min-Jun's former assistant clutching unto his legs in a pleading and degrading manner, leaking it out to the press at the right moment. Being his first scandal, the various entertainment news has painstakingly refused to bring down its headlines. A few saying:
ACTOR KANG MIN-JUN SEEN BULLYING HIS ASSISTANT
IS KANG MIN-JUN'S HUMBLE DEMEANOR FALSE?
EXPOSED: ACTOR KANG MIN-JUN'S REAL CHARACTER CAUGHT ON CAMERA
KANG MIN-JUN'S PERSONAL ASSISTANT AT HIS MERCY, PLEADING TO GET HER JOB BACK
Some headlines even took things a step further:
DOES ACTOR KANG MIN-JUN AND HIS PERSONAL ASSISTANT HAVE A NORMAL WORK RELATIONSHIP OR IS THERE SOMETHING MORE?
Manager Park's plan was to use the new personal assistant—who was notably eye-catching—to overshadow the scandal and shift the media's focus before Min-Jun's new movie release. It was a brilliant strategy, wasn't it?
Min-Jun's jaw clenched, but he had no response. Was he supposed to just accept this?
"Good. Since you don't have a solution, I suggest you start getting along with your assistant," Manager Park said firmly.
"I don't think I..." Min-Jun began to protest again but was cut off by Zee.
"I have reviewed the schedule and noticed we need to leave shortly," Zee said, glancing at his schedule.
"And who..."
Zee interrupted him once more with a professional smile. "Filming starts at eight. We should get going to the filming location soon to make sure we are on time."
Min-Jun looked at her in disbelief. Did she really think she could boss him around? Manager Park, grinning from ear to ear, thought to himself that he had definitely made the right choice in hiring her.
Min-Jun glanced at the clock and realized she was right. He decided to set aside his complaints for now; he didn't want to give the reporters more ammunition for their next story.
As he turned to leave, he noticed Zee following closely behind.
"I don't want you within twelve inches of me," Min-Jun said, pointing directly at her. "Stay as far away as possible. There might be some kind of sickness hiding in that dark-colored skin of yours, and I don't want to be infected."
After delivering his clear warning, Min-Jun strode out of the office. Zee's strong resolve began to crumble like candy left in an open heat. Her emotions threatened to spill over. Why did Min-Jun loathe her so much? Why did he seem repulsed by her?
When the tears that had gradually settled in her eyes began to blur her vision, Zee raised her head and slowly blinked them back. She then left the office to follow Min-Jun.
Outside, Zee recognized some of Min-Jun's entourage—his publicist, stylist, makeup artist, and runner: Che-U, Gui-Jin, Do-hee, and Si-Woo. They all stood up from the lobby chairs, bowing slightly before trailing after Min-Jun. Zee noticed the subtle side glances thrown her way and offered a smile in greeting. To her surprise, they returned her smile.
"Well, at least I have friendly colleagues," she thought as she continued walking, carefully maintaining the twelve-inch distance from Min-Jun.
They reached the VIP van, and one of the bodyguards waiting outside opened the door for them. Four bodyguards had been assigned to Min-Jun due to the on going scandal.
Min-Jun entered the VIP van first, followed by the others. Zee stood hesitantly, unsure how to maintain her distance inside the vehicle. Ultimately, she chose to sit in the front seat with Seung Bo.
Seung Bo masked his surprise and quickly started the van. The bodyguards joined a different car, and they were soon on their way to the filming site. Seung Bo wondered why the personal assistant wasn't sitting close to Min-Jun as expected. Moreover, wasn't this the same woman who had been hit by the van the other day? Why had she suddenly become Min-Jun's assistant? Something seemed off, and he decided he needed to inform Manager Park about this.
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Annyeonyhaseyo— Hello