Seoul in the City

Chapter 6: Mr. Know It All

"Lights, Camera, Action"  he says. 

Everyone on the set watched Cassie stand motionless. "Cut" Director Kang shouted. He walks up to Cassie. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Just a bit nervous that's all" she explained while twiddling her fingers. The makeup artist touches up Cassie's face with a medium bronzer. "You are going to do great noona" Secretary Kim yelled from the sidelines. She smiles as she turns her attention to her lines on the sheet of paper. "I can do this. I know I can" she told herself. She gave Director Kang a thumbs up to   signal that she was ready. The set became quiet again. Cassie is wearing a pink chiffon dress with a touch of minimal makeup to make her look seem more natural and elegant. 

"Action" the director says. Cassie gracefully walks toward the white room set. The camera man follows  her every move. She gets to her spot as the manager turns the fan on. The wind blows just enough as her hair and dress move in slow motion. As she opens her mouth to speak, suddenly she is interrupted   from someone who slammed the door. "Michin(crazy)... Who made that noise?" the director asked while scratching his forehead. "I closed the door" Cho stated with a smug look upon his face. "I came to watch ummm... that person over there" he pointed directly at Cassie.

" Her name is Cassie Hyungnim" Secretary Kim noted. Cho glared at his secretary. Kim decided to look the other way to avoid being in trouble with his boss. Cho noticed the movie clapboard with the numbers 21 on it. He begin to laugh to himself. "Don't mind me Director Kang proceed please" he said with sarcasm. "Why is he here?" she thought to herself. Cassie inhaled very deeply because she knew that this was going to be a very long  grueling day. "Naneun sarang.... He interrupts her again. "How long is this going to take?" Cho said loudly. The director is a short middle aged man with a receding hairline. He began  pulling on what little hair he had left. 

"President Cho I really need to do my job without the interruptions if you don't mind" he says. "It's only two words in Korean. I really don't understand the difficulty. Maybe we need a better model" he suggested. Cassie stepped off the set to confront the jerk. "Look, I'm here to do a job. I'm not here to amuse you" she confessed. "Actually you are quite entertaining" he chuckled. "But you are right. I will be quiet. One more thing however, if this commercial is not successful this company will probably tank. But, hey no pressure" he added. 

"Aishhh" she said in frustration as she stormed away. Secretary Kim rushed to her side to give her encouraging words. Cho snapped his fingers and Kim left immediately. She watched him scold his assistant in front of everyone. Right then and there she knew that she had to overcome this jackass, not just for herself but for everyone else. "I'm ready Director Kang" she instructed. "This should be very interesting" Cho said in a humorous tone. The room went black then a bright light turned on softly.  Cassie's skin was radiant. She walked to the middle of the set. Director Kang zoomed in on her face. 

Cho strangely became interested in his client for a brief moment. His stern brown eyes begin to slowly engage upon her face. "Naneun sarang Candy Love" she said as she bit into a piece of chocolate then winked her eye. "That's a wrap" the director said. Everyone congratulated her on a really good performance. Cassie smiled and shook hands with people on the set. All of a sudden she could feel someone staring at her. Cassie and the CEO locked eyes for a moment. He quickly left the scene. "Hyung are you okay?" Secretary Kim asked. He noticed his boss was a bit nervous and sweaty for some odd reason. 

Cho wiped the sweat off of his brow with his embroidered handkerchief. Kim gave him a glass of water. He gulped it down. "So, what do you think about noona?" Kim asked out of curiosity. "I think she fits me. We have a good thing" he stated. "I knew it. You like her" he said in a sad tone. "I'm confused. I thought you didn't like Cassie" Kim assured his boss. "Wait. What? I thought you meant my noona Mina" he frowned. "Ohh. I was talking about Cassie" Kim blushed. "I would never" he demanded. "She is very pretty and nice" Kim admitted. "That thing is not pretty or nice at all. She is discourteous and most of all she is a foreigner" Cho expressed. 

"I thought Min-a was born in the states" he confessed. Cho gave him a vicious stare down. "Doesn't matter, that commercial is going to fail and I will have to find another way to save the company once again" Cho shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "I think.... Cho interrupts him.   "I don't pay you to think. So, let's not discuss this person anymore " he commented. "Mianhamnida(sorry)" Secretary Kim apologizes. Cassie arrives home after a long day of work. "Mom, Dad are you guys home?" she asked. "We are up here sweetie" Steven said. Cassie goes upstairs to her parents bedroom. "Thought I drop by and say hi" she said. 

"Baby where were you all day?" Charlene asked? "Well I was... TV commercial interrupts Cassie. The Phillips recognize their baby girl on TV. Cassie is in awe of the commercial. "Well I was shooting a commercial all day for Candy Love. I'm really tired and in desperate need of a shower. If you don't mind I'm going to call it a night. Love you guys" she said as she kissed both her parents on the cheek. They were in a state of shock as Cassie walked out the door. After a nice steamy shower Cassie put on her pjs. She turned the light out and the clock read 11:27pm. 

Several guys were out celebrating and drinking at a pub called Lotus Bar. "Hyun you are the best damn chef I know" he says in a drunken stance. "So, how is that you have the looks and the talent and no girl" he babbled. "Shut up" he says as he flicked pork at his face. Hyun calls a taxi for his schoolmate. Ten minutes later the cab arrives. He and a friend help carry the guy to the car. As they approach the vehicle Hyun notices a bright billboard staring back at him. Hyun dropped the guy's arm from his shoulder as all the weight fell on his friend. He realized that Cassie was the girl looking back at him. The  medium thin frame student couldn't breathe with that huge guy on top of him. "Hyun help me" he shouted. 

He ran to his friend's aide and retrieved his classmate from the cement ground. They put him in the taxi safely this time. "What was that about? he asked his bestie. "Nothing" he says with a confused look. Lee Junho new something was up with his friend. Hyun kept staring at the billboard. "She is cute. Do you know her?" he said eagerly. "I know her parents" he said modestly. "Opportunities don't come like this. Better make the most of it before somebody snatches her up" Lee suggested. "Like who you?" he smiled. "Yes of course. I'm a ladies man" he joked. The two began play fighting briefly then walked back home in different directions. 

"See ya later" Lee said as he walked up a hill. Hyun continued walking straight until he came around the corner to his house. He opens the door quietly trying not to disturb his mother and sister sleeping. He placed his keys on the hook. He walked upstairs to his room and fell out on his bed. The drinking was starting to pay off. As he laid there falling asleep, one thing for sure was he couldn't get that beautiful image of her out of his mind.