𝖱౿ᑯ ᥣꪱᜒ𝗀𝗁𝗍ડ » 𝖡ɑ𐓣𝗀 𝖢𝗁ɑ𐓣

16

I sit on the bed between Changbin and Minho and look at both of them closely. "What are you actually doing here?" "Chaperones." Minho looks like he really means it while I just roll my eyes. Just as I'm about to say something, Chan's cell phone rings. "Our manager." He tells us to be quiet. "Hello?...Yes...After the interview? Ok...Why?...Ok, then we'll come by later. Bye." Minho, Changbin and I look at Chan expectantly. During the call his smile has disappeared and he now looks quite serious. "Everything OK?" I notice that he looks worried. "Um, yeah. We're supposed to go to our manager's office after the interview." He realizes that no one knows who he means. "He wants to see Sarah and me." This can't mean anything good. Exhausted I try to think of what could have happened, but I just can't think of anything. "Ok, then I'll wait here and you pick me up after the interview?" "I'll do it..." Suddenly Chan behaves completely differently. Something is not right.

I pace excitedly up and down the hotel room. I still don't know why I should come to the interview. It just doesn't leave me alone. After what feels like an eternity, the door to the room opens and Chan comes in. "We should get going. Ready?" "No..." I take my bag and follow him to the underground car park and the car that is already waiting for us. We sit next to each other in the back seat and the closer we get to the JYP office building, the more nervous I become. My heart is racing and my legs feel like jelly. "Don't worry. It'll be okay." Chan reaches for my hand and squeezes it. "You might want to tell yourself that first. You don't look any less worried." "You're right..." Nobody says a word for the rest of the journey. Normally I don't mind silence, but this oppressive silence is driving me crazy. When we arrive at the office building, we are met by an employee and taken to the manager's office. Chan's knock is answered with a serious "Come in". The man sitting behind a desk in front of us doesn't look too happy to see us."Sit down," he points to two chairs in front of the table. Chan and I exchange a look and he pulls the chair out of the way for me to sit down. I smile gratefully at him. "Miss Hayes," the manager immediately turns to me and my eyes snap to him. "What is your employment here at JYP?" "Um..." His question irritates me. Shouldn't he know? "I'm Felix and Chan's stylist." "Exactly. That's what they are. And what shouldn't they be?" He folds his arms and leans back in his chair. "I...I don't fully understand." I look between him and Chan, confused. Chan doesn't seem to know what he's getting at either. "Miss Hayes..." He leans forward again and turns his laptop towards us so we can see the screen. "Does this look like the job of a stylist?" On the screen you can see Chan and me...close to each other in the bookstore. "Where did the picture come from?" Chan doesn't seem enthusiastic. The manager ignores him and continues to look at me. "Or is this how a stylist should be seen with her clients?"
Now on the screen you can see a photo of me and Chan with his arm around me and looking at me with a dreamy smile. The photo was taken one afternoon when the boys and I were on our way to a restaurant. "So...I..." I'm at a loss for words and what should I explain? That's me in the pictures. However, in my free time and therefore not as the band's stylist, but as their friend. "You agree that these pictures might seem to some people like they are more than Chan's stylist. Am I right?" I just nod silently. My hands are shaking and I feel panic threatening to take me by surprise. "What's this all about? Are you trying to embarrass her?" Chan is clearly angry. "I'll come to you later." The manager turns back to me and opens a folder on his laptop with countless photos and videos. "This," he taps the screen. is currently flooding the internet. Not "Just that you both were seen and photographed by photographers, but also by fans. There are tons of edits on the internet and now enough rumors. We can't tolerate that. It damages our reputation." "Your reputation? And what about us?" Chan intervenes again and gets a dirty look from his manager. However, he doesn't care and just keeps talking.

"None of us are asked if we want to be watched around the clock. We also have a life here in addition to our job!" "Which is part of your job! And that certainly doesn't include having fun with your stylist!" He shouldn't have said that. The muscles in Chan's jaw twitch and I notice that he is becoming more and more annoyed. "What I do in my private life is none of your business!" "Ok. Well, let's just do it like that," he leans back provocatively in his chair and keeps looking at Chan. "Now you tell me if there's something going on between you. We'll make it official and you'll have peace and quiet. Most of the fans won't be too happy about it and that will probably affect the entire band, but at least you'll have this "Whatever you want, Chan. So, are you dating?" Chan and I look at each other for a while before we both shake our heads. The manager doesn't seem 100% convinced, but we told the truth. Yes, we are attracted to each other and we probably feel something for each other, but it is nothing more, it never was and it never will be.

"Ok. Well, then we've sorted that out. So," he turns back to me. "Miss Hayes, you are a stylist, not a friend of the band. Act like one. If there are repeated incidents, your work here will be over immediately. Do you understand me?" I just nod. My hands are now shaking so much that I have to clasp them tightly so that it isn't too noticeable. Chan, however, notices it, as always. He looks looking at me worried. "Then that's it. Miss Hayes, nice to have spoken to you. You can go," he points to the door. "Chan, I still want to talk to you." I get up and go to the door when Chan says turns to me. "Sarah? Please wait for me outside, ok?" To the manager's displeasure, I nod and leave the office.

While I'm sitting outside in a comfortable armchair, I take out my cell phone and open the Internet. Maybe it's not a good idea to look for the rumors or edits, but I'm curious. I'll quickly find what I'm looking for. Mostly the headlines say that Chan is in a secret relationship and people wonder who the stranger is. Many people are actually speculating on me. Totally absurd. The fans' edits consist entirely of pictures from the journalists and the one live video in which I was briefly seen. At first it seems pretty harmless until I get the clever idea of ​​opening the comments. All these people don't know me and yet they seem to hate me. Occasionally you read that fans are happy that Chan is finally happy. But too often I read comments like "Why her?", "She's not that pretty!" or "Someone worked their way up there, if you know what I mean!". I quickly turn off my phone so I don't read any more of it. This is all totally crazy. I'm not Chan's girlfriend, nor is there anything going on between us. And even if he is, he is a grown man and can probably have a private life! I don't understand this industry and its rules. Exhausted, I lean my head against the back of the chair and stare at the ceiling. I never thought I would get into such trouble at one of my jobs. Chan's voice can occasionally be heard from the office. He sounds quite beside himself and I even think that he is arguing with the manager. Hopefully he doesn't say anything stupid that could get him in trouble. Shortly afterwards the door opens and Chan storms out of the office, followed by the manager who looks at me seriously. "Come on, let's go." Chan reaches for me and pulls me out of the chair. He takes my hand and our fingers intertwine. "Chan!" The manager's warning call echoes through the hallway, but Chan ignores it and only holds my hand tighter.