Chapter 30 - The Encounter

"She's late, Sir," Mirae tapped her foot impatiently. They were waiting at Madam Hong's office for over an hour. Ash was already late for his shoot.

"Patience is a virtue, Ms. Mirae," Ash said, flicking the pages of a magazine.

Even though they never discussed it, there was an unwritten agreement between them: not to be informal or casual with each other when they were at work. Their morning date was a risky tryst which they cannot take again, especially after how KJ almost caught them.

Ash suspected KJ knew that Mirae was there with him but did he also figure out about her alternate identity as Abyss' CEO? There was something strange about KJ's expression when Ash revealed he was not alone in the room. He did not probe further, but an uneasy tension built up between the two men. Ash decided that he must find out the reason behind KJ's odd behavior.

Meanwhile, Mirae checked her watch. It was almost 3:30 PM. She wondered if KJ was going through his date with Psycho. She texted him.

"Are you with P?"

A minute later, he replied.

"We're done already. He handed it over to me."

She let out a sigh of relief.

"Why are you sighing, Ms.Mirae?" Ash asked.

"Nothing, Mr. Park," Mirae lied. She was not sure if she should be talking about the video they acquired at Madam Hong's office. What if they were being bugged?

"Sir, can I excuse myself for a minute?" she asked.

Ash nodded and resumed reading his magazine. Mirae went out of the room and headed towards the toilet.

Inside, there was a dignified looking woman, washing her hands. Mirae recognized who it was: Madam Hong.

Suppressing her urge to slam the woman against the floor, Mirae went on to do her business. After she came out to wash her hands, Madam Hong was still there, fixing her lipstick.

Mirae went over to the sink and turned on the tap.

"What is your name, Miss?" Madam Hong suddenly asked her.

Masking her disdain for the woman, Mirae gave a polite smile and turned towards her to bow down.

"My name is Mirae, ma'am," she replied. "You must be Madam Hong. Our team came to meet you today."

"I assume you came with Mr. Ash Park?" she raised her eyebrows.

"Yes ma'am," Mirae said. Madam Hong scrutinized the girl, eyeing her from head to toe. The girl was wearing a loose turtleneck shirt with baggy pants. Her hair was tied in a messy bun. But her shabby appearance could not conceal the aura of elegance she carried with her.

Mirae was aware that Madam Hong was testing her. She needed to play her cards right to avoid suspicion.

"How long have you been working with EXOTIC?" Madam Hong asked, returning her gaze to the wall mirror.

"Three weeks, ma'am," Mirae replied.

"How do you feel, working for the country's top boy band?"

"I feel honored, ma'am."

"Are you close with them?" Madam Hong questioned. "You're one of their personal staff after all. You must know them very well by now."

"We have a good working relationship," Mirae said curtly.

"Really?" the woman shrugged. "Hard to believe. Four handsome and young men who are the heartthrobs of the nation. Surely, you must be interested in at least one of them?"

"Actually," Mirae bit her lip, hesitating. Madam Hong raised her eyebrows, waiting for the girl's answer.

"I-I am interested in one of them," Mirae stammered. The older woman was listening intently, her mind ready to decide the girl's fate depending on the latter's answer.

"I-" Mirae started. "I am really into KJ oppa!"

Her eyes were filled with starry eyed optimism.

"I took this job for KJ oppa only!" Mirae revealed excitedly. "He's so cool! His stage charisma is off the charts! I'm so in love with him. But..."

"But what?" Madam Hong coaxed her in a gentle tone.

"But he is so busy with his work!" Mirae lamented. "And he doesn't even like to be in relationships. It's so hard to see the love of your life in front of you and not be able to be with him. Then when he is with other girls... I just..."

Mirae's eyes teared up. "I'm so sorry, madam," Mirae apologized wiping her eyes.

"It's okay," Madam Hong patted her shoulder. The girl was so genuine in her feelings, that even Madam Hong pitied her.

"KJ is a tough cookie," she said, comforting Mirae. "Tell you what? I think I can help you out."

"Really?" Mirae was astonished. "How madam?"

"Leave it to me," she winked. "I'll help you, if you can arrange a date between me and Ash."

"Done, madam!" Mirae exclaimed. "I'm sure I can arrange a beautiful date for you and Mr. Park! I will check his schedule for next week and inform you about it."

"Thank you sweetie," Madam Hong patted her cheek. "I will make sure that you get your dream date with KJ."

"I'm so happy!" Mirae squealed. "Can I hug you, ma'am? If that is alright with you?"

"Come here," Madam Hong pulled Mirae into an embrace. "Good luck," she winked, as she let her go and exited the washroom.

"She's no threat at all," Madam Hong sneered. At first, when she saw Ash and Mirae arriving at her office through her CCTV, she immediately marked the girl as a threat. Any girl beside Ash was an opponent for her, a rival she needed to remove. But after talking to the girl, it turned out she was merely a dreamy eyed fangirl of KJ.

"Might as well entertain her wish," Madam Hong decided as she entered her office. "One less potential rival for me."

....

Inside the bathroom Mirae felt like throwing up.

I should get an Oscar for my acting skills, she thought.

She guessed, Madam Hong must have seen her entering the building with Ash. At least she had a valid reason to come to the premises with him, but Madam Hong would see any girl with Ash as a threat. Hence, she prepared a story beforehand.

But now, the plan has to be slightly altered to show that she really is into KJ. It was a good thing she learned a few tips on fangirling from Psycho. He trained her to appear starstruck and in awe of KJ. It took a lot of patience and practice to pretend liking a guy she is not really fond of, but they managed to pull it off at last.

On top of that, she has to arrange the date between Madam Hong and Ash. The very thought made her skin crawl.

Mirae looked into the mirror and reflected on the past few weeks. At first, she was using KJ as a mere stepping stone to take down the Cartel. But after interacting with him, she knew he was no longer a liability but an aide in her mission. Only question was, how much can he be trusted?

And Ash...

He was always special to her but now she had to protect him as well. Not just from Madam Hong but from the Cartel as well. If they found out that he was spying on Madam Hong, they will not hesitate to discard him. His superstar status means nothing to them. If they want to take someone down, they will do it.

Mirae clenched her fists. She must get to them before they get to either of the people close to her. Being on Madam Hong's good books might actually gain her some insights.

"One week," she said to herself. "In one week, I'll make her spill."

With renewed determination, Mirae headed back.