Chapter 50 - Backstage

Kim Jun Hyeon followed Singer Nam to Pearl's backstage at her invitation. He couldn't help but think that her shameless self-assurance was even a little childish and stupid; and sometimes he would prefer her to be as modest as most girls he knew. But the surgeon couldn't deny that it made her unique.

A thrill coursed across his body while his brain still was struggling to decipher the signals. Did the fact that Ye Rim invited him to stay and watch the show, and come to her dressing room, mean something? 'Was it a promise about the end of the night?' he wanted to know, but was unsure, even after the thought-provoking conversation in the cafe. He could have sworn there was a special thing between them at that moment.

But now, the lively Singer Nam introduced him to the band's musicians, who were casually chatting around and spending time before the show started. He was well received, since he was introduced as Mr. Go's grandson, a known habitué. No one seemed to mind the visit of a stranger brought by Ye Rim into the backstage.

"As you can see, it's very small. This is my dressing room." She opened a door signaled with a star-shaped mirror.

"Unnie gave it to me, it's cute, doesn't it?" She mentioned casually, noticing he paid attention to the item.

If not for the star in the door, he would have thought it was a broom closet. Inside, it was a little bigger than that, but he couldn't see much else since it was dark.

"But," she said, entering the room, and Kim wasn't sure whether to do the same or not. 'Not a good idea' , he decided, to go into a small, dark place with Ye Rim tonight, so he stood in the doorway.

"But," she repeated, seeming to search for things in the dark, "it currently has a problem with the electrical wiring, and until it's fixed, the Pearl Club's Royal Majesty kindly grants his dressing room for me to do my makeup."

She returned to the door bringing a blue dress in a hanger, which she put on Jun Hyeon's shoulder while carrying a makeup case that was twice the size of his doctor's bag, and whispered, "Not so kindly, in fact. But he has no choice."

Jun Hyeon held back his laughter, and she handed him a pair of shoes. Kim wondered if he should feel outraged for suddenly becoming a human hanger.

"Hold this for me please. Unnie brought this dress earlier today. I love it, a friend of mine gave me some time ago. I haven't wore this in a while, I hope it still fits."

'At least in this matter she is the same as all other women.' And that was at the same time a scary and calming thought to him.

Ye Rim closed her modest, dark dressing room and unceremoniously opened the next door, simply painted red with the name Duk Mi in gold.

"Aigoo! What a scare!" A loud male voice came from the back of the room. Since the dressing room had a fringed curtain at the entrance and was half lit, Kim couldn't immediately see the voice's owner, but Ye Rim soon apologized.

"Sunbaenim, I'm sorry! I didn't know you were here tonight!"

The dressing room owner got up, and then the doctor could see him. Singer Duk Mi was a short man in his late fifties, and perhaps much more, of short stature and fragile build, with a tired face; but still elegant in his features. He walked towards Ye Rim:

"My dear Ye Rim. How many times do I have to tell you to knock on the door before you open it so recklessly? This is a 'boy's' dressing room! What if you see something…"

'Pathetic? Unpleasant?' Kim thought, allowing himself to be mean for a moment.

"…That could embarrass us both? Don't be so reckless!"

"Well, sunbaenim, since today is Wednesday and you don't usually come on Wednesdays, I didn't think I should knock on a door of a room that was supposed to be empty…"

"She always has an answer." Duk Mi pouted peevishly then seemed to realize that a man was standing outside the door. He signaled to the younger singer, questioning who Jun Hyeon was. Ye Rim fussily came to the doctor to get her things from his hands, and introduced him to the senior singer:

"Sunbaenim, this is Dr Kim Jun Hyeon, Plastic Surgeon. Dr. Kim, this is singer Duk Mi, the trot legend."

Whether or not Singer Duk Mi was a trot legend, Kim had no way of knowing. He just wondered if Pearl Club was a place where those at the bottom of their careers could find shelter. 'Okay, that's pitiless even for me. But how wrong am I on my "judgemental" impression?' he wondered.

"It's a pleasure to meet you". Jun Hyeon greeted as proper, bowing to the older man.

"Ah, I've heard of you. Dr. Kim Jun Hyeon, the celebrities' favorite surgeon."

Kim was immediately embarrassed, and tried to downplay,

"I wouldn't say that, as surely celebrities should prefer not to be associated with plastic surgeons…"

"What a great nonsense, right? What's the matter with wanting to look prettier and younger?" Duk Mi approached the doctor. Although the singer is not dressed for the stage, or so Kim guessed, the doctor can't help but notice that the other man was wearing heavy makeup.

"Not a problem, Mr. Duk Mi, though…"

"Let's go for a moment so the girl can get dressed, right? She needs to be pretty to fill the house on a Wednesday night."

"…!" Kim tried not to dislike the senior singer, but the comment sounded slightly mean. Was there some kind of veiled, or not quite veiled, rivalry between the senior singer and his junior?

The doctor waved bleakly at Ye Rim, who waved back happily at him as the singer led Kim away from the dressing room door. The older man asked,

"Does Dr. Kim perform all sorts of plastic surgery, or specialize in some specific branch? "His respectful tone immediately raised Kim's suspicions.

"Well, actually I do have a specialty, which is..."

"Take a look here." The singer looked up. "These bags under my eyes, and my eyelids folding so badly, that's easy to fix, isn't it? Aigoo, that makes me look like a frog. I look a lot older than I am. How could we do this?"

"Actually, it's a simple procedure, but I recom…"

"That skin excess here on the chin can also be simply fixed, right? I heard about it. Define the jawline and such. But I wanted the opinion of a renowned expert. Because, I wouldn't risk getting such job done with anyone who didn't have at least your expertise and renown."

"Oh, thanks, but…"

"Ye Rim going to have some job made? Aigoo, some people don't know when it's time to stop! She is already pretty enough. We keep saying that to her. She denies that she has done anything, but Dr. Kim knows very well how to recognize… It was made when she was a trainee, you know? All of them get something done. Noses, eyelids, chins… Now even famous actors are into bichectomy. One movie the cheeks are there, the other movie… no cheeks to see! But I see the benefits, I see it. Good results. But what is she going to do anyway? And most importantly, how is she going to pay you?"

This ajuhssi king of the trot was rather indiscreet and weird, but at this point Kim was really sorry to have come to the dressing room. He wasn't sure why the singer mentioned money, but it made him feel absolutely uncomfortable. 'Will this crazy octopus ever let me go of his tentacles? What? Does he want me to see him and prescribe a surgery here in the backstage?!'

"She will not have cosmetic surgery. As far as I know, at least." Kim thought that would be enough, but the singer's surprised look changed to a naughty expression immediately," Uhn, I got it now… You're one of the admirers of 'Miss' Nam!"

"Oh! No! It's not..." Realizing that his reaction would not deny anything, Jun Hyeon decided to just flame the older singer's weakened ego. "Well, I'm here because we have a mutual friend. He's a music producer and got a test for Ye Rim on HTN."

As imagined, the man's eyes grew in wonder and realization.

"Really?"

"Yes, two producers were there, they were very impressed."

"Well, Ye Rim really is exceptional..."

"Anyway, I imagine you will soon have your dressing room all to yourself." He wondered if he was being too obvious in his sarcasm, but realized he had reached the point. 'Jackpot! You shouldn't be mean to your hoobae, Ajuhssi. You never know when things are going to reverse.'

But their attention was attracted by the entry of a small group, which made the atmosphere in the small backstage quite suffocating.

"Oh, so this is where our dear Miss Nam Ye Rim has been hiding!"

Ms. Song was escorting a full-bodied ajuhssi, apparently the same age of Duk Mi but round-faced and slanted-eyed. He wore a branded suit that looked slightly larger than him, highlighting the square aspect of his figure, and from which he had apparently forgotten to take the branded labels off his sleeves. With them, two more men and a woman, clearly his employees, closed the small touring group.

Kim and Duk Mi looked at each other, suddenly bothered by the same unexpected event, what got the 'instant allies effect'.

"Who is this ajuhssi?" they questioned each other reactively.