Paper Dolls

Chapter 35

Mr Wan is distracted with the other girls when I walk in. He gives me a side glance and then proceeds to listen to Kim run over her lines. 

The three of them stand by his piano forte and he is sitting down with his foot perched on one of the pedals. He plays a tune and listens to Kim harmonise before giving some feedback. 

At least he takes his job seriously.

Binna leans by the wall, tapping her foot in synchronicity with each key pressed, the dancer in her ever present. She doesn't have to practice any lines so her attention shifts to me when I walk in. 

I pretend to study the room. The warm brown beech wood desk that is so clean that it shines like glass, the light fittings that seem a little too over the top for a vocal studio, the numerous keyboard's lining the walls and then finally the wall of achievements across from me.

So many certificates, so many pictures but my eyes have already zeroed in on the one I'm looking for. I dig around for my phone in my bag while I traipse the cream colored floors. It's easy to be soundless when the thick carpet swallows my every step. 

Once I'm standing in front of Mr Wan's memorabilia, I pretend to admire each picture slowly because he suddenly turns around to watch me. I put my hands behind my back and cast him a small smile. He then visibly relaxes, probably assuming that I'm admiring his achievements like we did the other day. 

He turns back to Kim and Liza, giving me the chance to pull out my phone and snap a picture of the one with Dalia. 

"What are you doing?" Binna's whispers nearly scare me out of my skin. 

I jump, startled and she just stares at me curiously. When I don't answer, she turns to the board and studies the picture in front of us. She sighs when she sees Dalia front and centre, flanked on both sides by good looking men, excluding Mr Wan. 

"You're obsessed," She murmurs in disappointment. To be fair she's not wrong. "Is this why you wanted to practice here?"

"No, I really needed to practice," I justify weakly but it's like I'm a blank slate and she can see right through me.

She looks like she wants to laugh. "We always practice with Ms Noh."

I quickly pocket my phone and stare at the other photos, pretending to busy myself with them. There are quite a few of Mr Yang and Mr Wan at premiers and some of Mr Wan with the famous rapper Dom. 

My heart skips when I see one of him and Jungseok, Loona's boyfriend/accomplice. 

I want to pull out my phone and take another picture but then I feel someone sidle up to my side. Mr Wan has joined us, with Liza and Kim trailing behind. 

"This was taken in 2009. The year Big B's popularity made Kpop famous all over Asia." Mr Wan stares at his photos with a fondness that reminds me of how the Kdrama lead actors stare at each other when they're in love. 

"You know Jungseok?" I ask curiously while I subtly move away from him. He's standing too close, one more step and we could be side hugging. 

"Of course. We wrote a song together, that troublemaker." Mr Wan's eyes glaze over at the memory and he smiles. "Very talented guy but too avant-garde to be mainstream. Not to mention controversial." 

My cheeks heat, remembering when he nearly caught Hyeon and I in the bar just yesterday. If Hyeon hadn't covered my face, hadn't looked like he was kissing me.. My fingers unconsciously go to my lips. I hadn't been able to see the rapper's face but his voice sounded rough and hard edged, like he was someone you wouldn't want to mess with.