My Star | Im Changkyun {COMPLETE}

Chapter 22

Now to tackle another issue which had been stressing her out. Taking a deep breath, Hyebin knocked on the door before entering the office, closing the door behind as she walked over to the space on the sofa where CEO Joo had gestured for her to sit.

She was nervous, however, she didn't want to show it since the topic was one she'd need to be cautious about approaching. Fortunately, he couldn't seem to sense her nervousness as he approached her with a smile.

"Would you like a drink? Maybe a tea or a water?" He offered, directly sitting opposite her on a sofa.

"I'm fine thank you," Hyebin rejected with a smile.

"Alright, well let's talk then. What's your reason for wanting to meet with me today?" He questioned, his eyes unintentionally observing her from head to toe, which usually would have made her feel uncomfortable but she'd noticed he did it often so by now she was used to it. As long as he didn't act on it, she was able to leave it alone.

"I would have kept quiet but I think the issue is getting out of hand these days." Hyebin began, deciding which parts she would keep to herself and would reveal to him. "I was in a reality show last year with a member from a pretty big boy group-"

"Ah yes... You made a lot from that." He chuckled, seeming pleased just to hear the mention of it. "We should thank him some time for bringing you into the spotlight."

"Yes..." She replied, staying alert as to not give anything away. "But that spotlight, it caused certain rumours ever since. We remained friends after the shoot, the whole cast including him but his sasaengs, they dislike me being close to him. Recently they broke into my family home and stole things. It seemed like they wanted to find dating evidence but there's nothing to find. It's personally interfering with my life and my family's. It's getting dangerous and I thought I should come to you before my family decide to get the police involved."

"I'm glad you told me. I'll talk to my associates." He vaguely responded. "We'll sort the issue out before anything big can come of it."

"Thank you, sir." Hyebin smiled, knowing that he'd never let someone interfere with him and his money. Just as the Wonho and Sooyeon rumour had been hushed quickly, she was sure the same would come of this situation too. 

"If that's all," CEO Joo stood up, dusting his thighs as though he'd been there a long time. "then you should be on your way. I'm sure you're very busy these days. I heard you're reviewing a script for a new show. You're good at what you do Hyebin." He chuckled heartily. "You can ask me for anything as long as you keep up the good work. The last time we had someone this promising was Park Hyungsik. I'm sure you remember him don't you?"

"I do," Hyebin nodded, reembering how him and his group had left the company on bad terms after exploitation scandals. Thankfully there was a new CEO in place but they were all still from the same social circle related to thugs. The risk was always there still. "I'll be leaving now. Thank you."

"Goodbye," He followed her to the door, watching as she left, leaving her feeling slightly uncomfortable as she could feel his gaze on her. It was awkward.

As Hyebin had presumed, the scandal had arisen a couple of days later , however, by then Changkyun was already on a flight to Thailand for the world tour. It seemed impossible for him to be dating when he had 5 months of touring ahead. Nobody would think that such a relationship could last when most idol couples would break up due to 'schedule' while being in the same country as each other. 

The company had already been preparing for the scandal and responded as planned, wasting no time in revealing the sasaengs who had invaded Hyebin's privacy and were affecting Hyebin from making money. By this time, people were already tired of the same scandal coming out, siding with Hyebin and Changkyun against the crazy stalkers, who they assumed were behind the previous scandals related to them. 

Monsta X were at their peak, they had announced their first ever English album and were on another world tour. It seemed clear that someone was just trying to bring them down. To avert the attention elsewhere, Hyebin confirmed a role in a new show after reading the script. Hopefully, it would bring the attention towards her new work and would keep her busy during the break between comebacks. She really wanted to work on a new comeback but the company had informed them that they were only now beginning to look for new songs from producers, which meant it would take a while before they'd hear anything else.

As a singer, she wanted to sing. Of course she understood that there were many other roles she would have to take on but she never expected singing to be a bi-annually type thing. They'd had 2 comebacks a year and would only get to sing at festivals or concerts whenever their company would sort them out. Members like Jiyeon and Sooyeon had been able to participate in collaborations but Hyebin never got a chance. They kept pushing her on to dramas, which she enjoyed but it wasn't her dream. Her specialty was rapping but her vocals were just as strong, she could have easily been able to collaborate or appear on a singing show.

Disappointed, she let out a sigh, pursing her lips together as she walked back over to the cafe table, where Haewon was waiting for her. Somehow, Haewon seemed even more troubled than Hyebin, judging from her scrunched up eyebrows and fidgeting hands. 

"I got you a mocha since you said you like sweet things, is that okay?" Hyebin asked, sitting down and placing the buzzer on the table.

"Mhm," Haewon seemed much quieter than usual. "I want to confess..."

"Huh?"

"I've been hiding something from you." She revealed, "I didn't think about what I was doing..."

As Haewon explained everything from the beginning, Hyebin was in complete shock at how much the sasaengs had planned. Even before she was dating him they'd already set such a plan in motion. There was no way she'd have ever predicted such a thing. From the small hate comments when she first became coupled up with Changkyun in a variety show to the tampered pregnancy stick. It was sickening to think there were such twisted people in the world, willing to go to extremes due to their own delusions.

Much like Changkyun, Hyebin couldn't bring herself to hate Haewon. If anything, she was just as much a victim as them. She'd been taken advantage of, manipulated into doing the dirty work in exchange for meaningless celebrity gossip to make friends and their friendship with her. 

"I don't know how I can make it up to you. I talked to Changkyun and said I'd come clear to you." Haewon's head remained low, avoiding eye contact with Hyebin out of guilt. She slowly slid a small toiletry bag across the table, the kind you'd usually keep sanitary towels and such in. "I put a brand new box in there. You don't have to trust me but I want to do the right thing. Since it was tampered, you should check again."

Hyebin didn't say anything. There wasn't really much she could say. She was still speechless. Without another word, she picked up the pouch and headed to the bathroom. It felt weird taking the test since she'd never really imagined being in the situation again. This time she'd checked the stick before using, waiting an extra minute before using in case it was another trick but nothing had showed up.

Within a few minutes, the faint red line began to appear. It was official. Everything felt surreal. She'd been confused but judging by how the line indicated she wasn't pregnant had left her feeling relieved, she couldn't help but feel guilty. The idea of having  a child wasn't something she hated, she just didn't feel like it was the right time. She wanted to focus on herself and her career, building up a reputation, one where she'd feel comfortable enough to reveal to the public that she was getting married to the love of her life without fearing repercussions. 

Another reason she never wanted to admit was the fact she didn't want to become famous over being known as 'Changkyun's girlfriend' instead of the reputation she'd been building from herself. The issue wasn't her pride but rather the fact that she had worked hard to build a name for herself. Being reduced to someones 'girlfriend' seemed like a burden. Seeing many being reduced to the title, they'd seemed to have disappeared from the spotlight after in comparison to their significant other... It was almost daunting to think about for her.

The problem with wanting so much was that there became more room for disappointment and that in itself was frightening for Hyebin but she was determined. Just as she had fought for her dreams of debuting, she would continue to fight for what she wanted in life. She wasn't looking for a happy ending, it was unrealistic. She just wanted to be happy. 

Even though her life was far from perfect, it felt as if she wasn't that far away from being completely happy...