"Hi!" he said in English.
Noelle could only stare, unable to speak.
"Do you speak… English?" he asked, raising both eyebrows.
A thought flashed through her mind. He thinks I'm dumb. There are probably a handful of people on this planet who don't know what 'hi' means, and he believes I'm one of them... That thought alone helped her find her senses, and she managed to mumble:"Hi… Yes, I do."
"Sorry, did I scare you?" he continued.
"No. It's okay," she responded. What was she saying? Her heart was skipping beats. What is he doing here? He's so close. I could touch him…
"Going in?" he asked again.
"Yeah..." she replied, still standing perfectly still.
He smiled widely and gestured with his right arm toward the office. She was practically enveloped by his presence, his face beaming down at her. "That way, then!" he suggested.
"Right…". Noelle spun around and hurried inside, quickly scanning the room. It was empty.
Where do I stand? What should I do? She decided to lightly lean on the edge of a vacant desk, still clutching the contracts in her arms, her bag still on her back.
"Where the fuck is everybody?" he said in Korean.
She turned to look at him, but not knowing the answer, she could only stare blankly.
"I'm wondering where everyone has gone" he repeated in English.
He thinks I don't speak Korean... Should I tell him? Nah, I'd better play along.
She was too confused to think clearly, especially in that moment, as she watched him approach and sit on the edge of the desk next to her. He turned towards her and asked, in English of course, "Who are you he is here to see?".
"Ms. Pyo" she replied.
"Ah! Chloe. That's her office, but she's not here" he said, raising his shoulders in a playful shrug.
He then reached out his hand. "I'm Yeong Ye-Jun" he introduced himself.
She knew that. For the past seven years.
I'm supposed to touch him now, right? Isn't that what people do in situations like this? She just needed to find the strength to lift her hand.
She took a deep breath and extended her right arm. His hand was so warm, and he held hers lightly but firmly. "I'm Noelle. Noelle Auclair" she replied.
"Nice to meet you, Noelle! Where are you from?" he asked, letting her hand go to Noelle's great disappointment.
"France" she replied.
"Oh, Paris!" he said excitedly. "I've been there as a kid. I don't remember much, but I liked it a lot" Ye-Jun said in a stargazing manner.
She smiled effortlessly. She had learned something new about him. He's never mentioned that before.
"What are you doing here, so far away from home?" he asked.
I came to meet you…
"I'm studying" she muttered. It was the reason she gave everyone. Especially him.
"What are you studying?" he asked expectantly.
"Business Administration. My Master's" she replied.
"And how is that going?" he asked her again.
"Good, I guess" she said, finally managing a smile.
It was surreal. They were just sitting side-by-side, talking casually. This surpassed all her expectations.
She wasn't sure what kind of person he really was. All his videos and interviews were staged; she knew that much. His public image was flawless. She was pleased to discover he seemed like an approachable guy, not a snobbish and distant star.
"You don't sound certain, so I guess you didn't get straight A's," he said, laughing lightly.
Was he teasing her? She laughed back, immensely surprised that they were just laughing together over something he said.
"And what are you doing here?" he asked, spreading his arms to indicate the office.
"I'm an intern," she replied.
He was about to throw her his next question, but Noelle's eyes caught a movement in the hallway. She looked over. He followed her gaze, and they both saw the rest of the team walking down the hall.
Mi-Suk noticed them first. She halted instantly, causing Dan-Bi to collide with her. They all turned to see what had happened, their expressions confused and slightly alarmed. What is wrong?
"There they are!" Ye-Jun said. He raised his hand and beckoned them in.
But they didn't move.
Chloe was the first to move and enter the office. "Good morning, Ye-Jun" she said calmly in Korean, though Noelle could tell she wasn't as relaxed as she had been half an hour ago. "What a surprise for you to drop by."
In the meantime, the others filed in. Their good mornings were murmured in low voices, with even lower excitement.
"Good morning, Chloe! Good morning, everyone!" Ye-Jun said in Korean. "Do I not have the right to drop by whenever I want? Should I be making an appointment?".
"Of course you can come whenever you want, but you have obligations today" she replied.
"Yes, my schedule is pretty heavy this period. I wonder why" Ye-Jun replied, shooting a look at Sang-Jun. "Where were you all?"
"In the meeting room down the hall. We had a… briefing" Chloe said.
"And I wasn't invited?" Ye-Jun wondered.
"It was about office issues" Chloe explained.
"That's so unfair!" Ye-Jun exclaimed.
"Why are you here, Ye-Jun?" Chloe asked, having regained her composure.
"Sang-Jun told me to pick him up!" Ye-Jun said, annoyed.
"I told you to call me and meet downstairs" Sang-Jun intervened.
"I did. You didn't answer" Ye-Jun shot back.
Sang-Jun patted his pocket and obviously realized something was missing. He then glanced toward the desk where Ye-Jun was standing. His mobile was lying there.
"What's going on?" Ye-Jun said. "You are all acting very strange".
"Everything is okay, Ye-Jun" Chloe said. The rest nodded in unison, looking foolish.
"No, it isn't. And on top of that, you left that poor girl looking for you in vain" Ye-Jun said, pointing at Noelle.
Me? A poor girl? Is he… sympathizing with me?
"I can see you met Noelle" Chloe commented, her voice cool.
"You know her?" he said. Since they were speaking in Korean, he probably assumed she didn't understand a thing. He turned his head and smiled at Noelle.
"Yes..." Chloe replied.
Mi-Suk took a step forward. "But now that you've met her, you're okay, right? You don't have any problem? We need a bit of help".
Chloe bit her lip.
"Help? Problem?" Ye-Jun wondered, his brow furrowing. He was silent for a moment, thinking hard. Then he asked cautiously: "Chloe… Why would this girl be a problem for me?".
Chloe planted her feet firmly and raised her chin in a gesture of strained defiance. "I took in Noelle as an intern" she proclaimed.
"You got an intern? Without asking me?" he inquired, his eyes flashing with anger at Chloe.
What just happened? Why is he angry? Who is he angry at? Me? Chloe?
"My office. Now" Chloe said, and started walking toward that direction. Ye-Jun followed without another word, but not before he glanced sideways at Noelle. The friendly guy from moments ago was gone, replaced by a cold, reserved stranger. They closed the door behind them.
"Well done, Mi-Suk! All plans—A, B, and C—were just ruined" Sang-Jun said.
"You forgot your phone! How is that my mistake?" Mi-Suk fired back.
"Stop accusing each other. It would have happened eventually" Dan-Bi said.
"I agree with Ms. Si. Better now than later" Mr. Kim added.
Noelle was lost. "Excuse me… What's going on?" she asked modestly.
They all looked at her. Dan-Bi was the one to explain. "Well… Ye-Jun, let's say, he doesn't like changes."
It was hard to think of him as someone who resisted change. He was constantly changing… everything. How could she forget the 'rainbow year,' when he was determined to try every color of the spectrum on his hair? "What do you mean, changes? What changed?" Noelle asked.
"The team. What else?" Dan-Bi said. "He doesn't easily approve of new people. You have no idea how difficult it was for Chloe to persuade him to get Mi-Suk on board four years ago. And since then, nothing else has changed."
Shit! He doesn't want… me.
What am I going to do now? Will Chloe get rid of me? Am I losing the internship? Oh no, I won't be able to graduate on time. Does this mean I will never see him again? Will it all be over before it even started?
The wild thoughts screamed in her head. But then she wondered: Why? She was just a three-month intern. She would be gone by the end of the summer. Was he really that peculiar? She didn't say a word.
"Don't worry, Noelle. Chloe wants you. That's why we were planning to kind of hide you for a little bit…" Mi-Suk said.
"You were trying to hide me?" Noelle asked, her eyes wide.
"Yes! There was no other way!" Mi-Suk said. "You were not supposed to meet him at all".
She wasn't certain if their encounter was a blessing or a curse. The only thing she knew now was that she had to put all her hopes in Chloe and her abilities.
Through the glass walls, she could see Ye-Jun standing in front of Chloe's desk. He was angrily shaking his head and gesticulating. Chloe was sitting in her chair in defensive mode, her face cold as stone but her eyes burning with fire. The outcome of the fight was unforeseeable. They all waited in silence.
As she waited, she doubted her plan once more. It now seemed more wrong than ever. But it was far too late to change anything. Her thesis was hanging by a thread, and her biggest dream was crumbling before it even began.
After several minutes, Ye-Jun exited. Noelle was still sitting in the same spot, her bag on her back, the papers clutched in her arms. She watched him approach, but he didn't even bother to look at her.
He walked past her and turned to Sang-Jun. "Let's go" he said plainly.
"Yes, sir…" Sang-Jun responded, getting up. "Bye, everyone" he said aloud.
"Oh… What are we going to do now?" Dan-Bi said when they both exited the room.
"He is… angry…" Mi-Suk murmured.
"Ladies, don't worry. We know him," Kang-Dae said. What did that mean? The other two looked at him in disbelief.
Chloe emerged from her office. "It might be a bit different this time, Kang-Dae" she said. "Noelle, my apologies for Yeong Ye-Jun's behavior. Please come to my office so I can explain the situation".
Noelle followed her, with a million thoughts swirling in her head. She had been so excited this morning, but not anymore. Who was the guy I was chatting with moments ago? Who is this rude man who left without a word? Where is that kid I saw seven years ago in a music video, the one I never managed to forget? How many Ye-Juns are there?
Only one thing was certain. She had crossed half the world for him… and he wanted nothing to do with her.