When Kenzie accepted the job as an English-Korean interpreter for one of the world's biggest music groups on their global tour, she didn't think twice. She needed a stable job, long-term accommodation, and, most importantly, the money.
What she didn...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
“MS. STONE, YOU may go home now,” Mr. Park, the head manager, said as soon as Jungkook and I arrived at his office. I was caught off guard. I thought I was needed here for something specific, but now he was dismissing me as soon as I arrived. Was my role just to escort him?
Still, I nodded and bowed politely. "Yes, sir. I'll be leaving then."
The manager was avoiding my gaze for some reason, but I was too tired to question it. He placed a hand on Jungkook’s back briefly before straightening up again. What was going on? Everyone had been acting strangely, and it was starting to get to me. This wasn’t what I signed up for—an interpreter’s job wasn’t supposed to be this unsettling.
"Wait!" Jungkook interrupted as I turned to go by placing a hand on my shoulder. He hesitated for a moment, his expression uncertain, but I stood there, waiting. After a few seconds, he didn’t address me and instead turned to the head manager. "Manager Hyung, will this take long?"
Mr. Park adjusted his glasses slightly. "Yes, it will. Definitely an hour."
Jungkook’s shoulders visibly slumped in disappointment. I understood; no one enjoys working late into the night, especially with a long meeting ahead. I gave both of them another bow and quietly left the office.
It wasn’t as if I couldn’t have found a decent job back home, but everyone knew who I was. The daughter of those wealthy merchants whose ancestors had immigrated to Manhattan centuries ago. The disowned daughter. No one would ever see me as just another person; they’d all look at me through lenses of pity, pools and pools of it, and that was the last thing I wanted.
Creepy workplaces and strange clients were the last thing I wanted, yet here I was. As soon as I got home, I’d need to start digging into my research. Something was definitely off about BigHit, BTS, and especially Jungkook. First, they acted like they knew me before we’d ever met. Then, Jungkook, out of nowhere, tells me how much he loved me, which was weird as hell. And now the management seemed just as suspicious.
Could this be one of those K-pop conspiracies I’d read about? I'm definitely not reading into it too much or everyone else has gone crazy.
I took a taxi to the place I rented to I took a taxi back to the place I was renting, only to be greeted by my explosive roommate. Explosive because she’s the extroverted side I never had. It’s only been ten days since I landed in Seoul, and I think I’ve already made a good friend.
Minseo, who’s three years younger than me, is a great companion. She talks nonstop, especially about the latest gossip from her college, and honestly, I don’t mind. I’ve always been a good listener, and her stories keep my soul lively.
"Minseo, I'm home!" I called out into the dark living room of our shared apartment. The only response was some muffled noises coming from Minseo's room. Odd—usually, she would rush out to greet me with some wild story or random update. I set my things down, listening for a moment, wondering what she was up to.
