My Summer in Seoul

Chapter Nine

Numb is normal

Grace

Dance practice.

Voice lessons.

Interviews.

Shove food into everyone's faces, grab coffee.

Rinse.

Repeat.

My eyes had dark circles under them. The more I tried, the more Lucas pushed. The more Rae told me to try harder. The more Kai scowled. The more Sookie looked like he felt sorry for me along with Jay, like they wanted to help me but had no time to even begin to.

"Grace?" Solia tapped her pen against my arm. "Did you hear what I said?"

"No. Sorry." I tried not to yawn. How was she dressed in this chic black dress and high heels when I had trouble putting on a T-shirt the right way today?

She sighed. "Pay attention. The MV drops days before the actual comeback stage, and they'll be doing a reaction video of the MV with another celebrity before that as a teaser. You need to go pick him up all right? The guys are already there since it's the same location as their last interview. The other idol had some issues with his manager, long story short he's going to be leaving his agency—breathe a word of this and you're fired—"

I held up my hands in surrender.

"So, we offered to pick him up since the contract ends in another day, and it's ridiculous for him to have to drive himself."

"All right." I stood on shaky legs, I hadn't really eaten all day and was learning how to survive off caffeine and protein bars. "So, is it close?"

"He's actually just finished shooting a drama so you can pick him up on set, he knows the van, just wait at the address I gave you and bring him straight here."

"Got it." I nodded and literally had to keep my yawn in again.

"Good." She was all business, with her low ponytail and perfect stained lips. How did she even do that? I asked once and she said "lip stain," as if that was an answer. "Head off and remember the guys have the day after tomorrow off, before things get even more crazy."

How? How could they possibly get any crazier?

My mom had Facetimed me a dozen times, but I couldn't face her or my dad. I felt so stupid and like such a failure.

"Well?" Solia frowned. "Are you going?"

"Oh yes, sorry..." I looked back at the interview SWT was doing. It was a podcast with Dive Studios; it made me smile. The guys seemed relaxed, which was nice, I guessed. They'd just started the interview, and Rae was talking. He seemed genuinely happy, like all of this was worth it. His eyes met mine briefly; he nodded, and I felt like he'd just given me a trophy.

I waved back and then I was gone before he could reject me or before Lucas could flip me off—not that he ever had, but his scowls sure felt like a giant middle finger.

The drive to the shooting site was really fast, he was only a few minutes away, whoever he was. Oh, crap. I parked and looked down at my phone. "Dae-Jung."

Hmmm. I was about ready to enter his name into Google when the van door opened and a tall, gorgeous man got in.

I don't remember if my jaw dropped or if I just stared for an uncomfortable amount of time, but I do know that I might have let out a squeak. Point is, I started that van so fast even Lucas would be impressed with my skills.

Assuming it was him, please God let it be him, I smiled and then started driving back toward the studio.

He said something in Korean making me want to whimper, so I just gave him a head shake and said the only thing I'd learned since being there five days, which was, "Yeonger?" Which meant, English?