Yu Sihyun's Daily Life in the Other World
The alarm on my phone rings loudly.
Haa. I want to sleep a little more.
I went to bed at 4 AM yesterday because of dance practice.
But I have to go to the company.
It's the company I'm barely going to because I want to.
Haa~ I stretch and open the window curtains.
Morning sunlight pours into the room.
Ah! The weather is good today too.
I go to the bathroom and take a shower.
Swoosh... Showering in cold water wakes me up a bit.
I brush my teeth lightly and look in the mirror.
Did I overdo the training yesterday?
My face looks tired.
Haa. No choice.
For the time being, I have to exercise hard.
The regular album comes out in three months.
Until then, I have to perfect my body.
I put on a suit for the company.
Even in a suit, I look like a high school student.
I'm already 26, but my face looks like a teenager.
Whiiing! I roughly dry my hair with a dryer.
At that moment, the phone rings.
Katong! Katong came~
I check the Katong.
[Seonyeong-nuna: Sihyun-ah, I'm waiting in the car in front of your house. When you're ready, come down.]
Ah, even if I say not to, Seonyeong-nuna always sends the manager to the house.
[Me: Nuna, today I'm going to work on my motorcycle. Go rest at home.]
[Seonyeong-nuna: Hey! Are you crazy? What if an accident happens? Do you want me to see you die at Jinyeong's sister's place? Please spare me. Huh?]
Haa.
Now she won't let me ride the motorcycle as I please.
I put on my bag and go down in the elevator.
When I go out, I wear a mask that covers my face.
It's inconvenient if anyone in the neighborhood recognizes me.
Shit.
When I first started working, did I think I'd become this famous?
Now, it's become a habit to cover my face like a criminal.
It's summer, so it's hot as hell.
The mask and hat have become my essential items.
As expected, the black VAN car is parked solidly in the old apartment parking lot.
I walk slowly to the VAN and get in.
Seonyeong-nuna in a black suit and sunglasses greets me with a grumpy face.
“Park Jihyun, isn't it time to stop this ordinary person cosplay? You're tired too. We are tired too. What is this?”
“Ah, nuna. The sunglasses are pretty.”
“Hey! Park Jihyun. Do you listen to what nuna says? Why do you keep ignoring nuna's words?”
“Ah, really. Nuna. I'm doing album work while working at the company. When I signed the contract with Jinyeong-nuna, I already told her everything. Why do you keep bothering me?”
“Hey, at that time I didn't know you'd become like this. Now, how many phone calls do you think come to broadcasting stations, radio stations, and advertisers every day because you're being scouted? Mysticism is only for a day or two.”
“Ah, really. Nuna. Because I'm doing mysticism and not appearing much on broadcasts and not shooting ads, people find me more. This is all marketing. Marketing.”
“Haa. Really. Park Jihyun. Don't you ever shut up? One word. Hey, really, how many billion-dollar ads have you missed because you're doing ordinary person cosplay? Chinese kids come to the company every day with money begging for just one broadcast. Really. They know the scale is different from Korea. One broadcast can be tens of billions at minimum.”
It's actually a lie to tease the manager nuna, but I know that the time of living as an ordinary person won't last long.
So these precious times are even more so.
“Ah, nuna. I get it. Until the regular album comes out. Let me live as an ordinary person for a bit. Really. It's already specified in the contract. Now, it's only three months at most. I'm not forcing anything not specified in the contract.”
“Haa........”
Seonyeong-nuna sighs.
“Go on, who can break your stubbornness? Okay. No matter how much I talk, it won't hurt my mouth. By the way, did you sleep a bit? You said you came home after 3 AM yesterday. Mingja said so.”
“Ah, so Mingja told nuna?”
“Yeah. What. That's right.”
Ah, really. I live freely but now it feels like I'm locked in a chicken coop.
The managers know where I go, what I do. They watch me all day.
“Nuna, I'm really tired these days.”
“Again. Why?”
“No. You know I didn't come to JYK Entertainment to do this in the first place. I just came for a one-time interview for fun. If I had known it would turn out like this, I never would have. Why did nuna give me a business card and make me join JYK? Hoo....... Now I feel like a bird locked in a cage where I can't do anything as I please.”
“Hey, other trainee kids would go crazy hearing words like that. You are.”
Looking out the window, familiar scenery starts to appear.
The company is getting closer.
“Dajeong-nuna, park over there. If I come to work by VAN, people will think weirdly.”
“Okay, Sihyun-ssi.”
-Kiiik!
Driver Dajeong-nuna parks the car behind the quiet company.
“Seonyeong-nuna, don't contact me while I'm at the company. Got it?”
“Got it. Hey, but Jinyeong-nuna said to call you during lunch break. Don't forget to call. Got it?”
“Haa.......”
Thinking of Jinyeong-nuna makes my breath catch again.
“Got it. Nuna.”
“Definitely. Definitely! If you don't contact me, Jinyeong-nuna will call me again.”
“Got it........”
I get out of the VAN and walk towards the company.
I'm tired from the morning.
“Ah, Sihyun-ssi! You're going to work?”
Familiar voice, Yuri.
“Ah, yes. Yuri-ssi.”
Yuri looks at my face closely.
“Sihyun-ssi. You look very tired. Dark circles under your beautiful face. Want me to buy you a fatigue recovery medicine?”
“No. Yuri-ssi. Rather than that, I'm going to be late for work. Hurry.”
“Okay. Sihyun-ssi.”
Yuri is my company junior, kind and reliable.
Her face is pretty at the company too.
“Oh my, Sihyun-ssi. Yuri-ssi.”
“Hello. Deputy Manager Lee Miyoung.”
Lee Miyoung is the deputy manager.
Her face is a bit funny-looking but she's a nice auntie.
“Sihyun-ssi, how come you look like Park Jihyun every time. Really. Is Sihyun-ssi actually Park Jihyun? Or are you identical twins?”
“No. It's just similar. How handsome Park Jihyun is. When you see the real thing, it's much better than me. It looks similar on TV.”
“Haa, that's me.”
I can't say I'm Park Jihyun.
Yuri interjected.
“Aigoo. That's not it. How does this superstar Park Jihyun come to work like this normally. And there's no man in the world more handsome than Sihyun-ssi. It's not just saying that, I think Sihyun-ssi is much better than that Park Jihyun.”
“Yeah,”
“After all, it's better for me, who is close to the superstar Park Jihyun, to be seen well.”
“Well, that's me though........”
When I arrive at the company, Ayeong team leader and Mihui chief, Choi Dajeong is already there.
Ayeong team leader greets me warmly.
“Oh my, why is Sihyun-ssi coming so early today?”
“No. What. I came on time.”
“No, Sihyun-ssi. You can come to work comfortably.”
Actually, yes.
The reason I joined this mid-sized company instead of a large one was because of the outrageous conditions.
My work hours were flexible, and there were no busy tasks I had to do.
It was just that I worked autonomously.
Just that when the company posted job ads or modeled for photos or videos, that was my job.
In short, it was a part-time job.
I didn't really need to be in the development business department, but because the senior management thought it would be good to have a sense of belonging in any team, my desk is in the development business department.
“Sihyun-ssi. Here's the Starbucks green tea frappuccino.”
Miyoung deputy placed the Starbucks drink I drink every morning at my seat.
“Thank you. Deputy.”
“Aigoo. No need to thank. It's my job to do it anyway.”
All team members are warm and kind to me.
“Haa.”
I ruined this peaceful and warm daily life myself.
Shit.
I shouldn't have joined JYK.
But now that I'm here, what can I do with regret.
I already signed the contract.
The water is already spilled.
Mihui chief enters the conference room and looks at me.
“Sihyun-ssi, we'll have the morning meeting, so rest.”
It's morning meeting time.
I mainly supplement the lack of sleep during morning hours at the company.
“Okay~”
“You look tired. Sleep a bit. I'll wake you up when we go for lunch.”
“Okay. Have a good meeting~”
“Aigoo, your manners are bright too. Really, you die from cuteness every time I see you.”
Mihui chief especially likes me among the team members.
“Sihyun-ssi, what are you doing tonight? Want to have a drink with me?”
Two big round melons are jiggling in front of me.
I look up and see Choi Dajeong smiling seductively.
“Ah. Yes. I have an appointment.”
“Ah, really, Sihyun-ssi has an appointment every day. It's sad.”
She keeps pushing her chest towards my face.
“Ugh.”
Choi Dajeong is sexy and pretty but too revealing about men.
I don't like women who are too slutty revealing men.
“Ah, Chief. Chief. What are you doing. Why do you keep pestering our Sihyun-ssi so he can't even sleep. Hurry up. Meeting starts.”
“Haa.......”
I sighed.
Thanks to Yuri.
I take off my hoodie and cover it on top and sleep peacefully.
After work, I have to become the tough superstar Park Jihyun again.
This place is the only place where I can relax and rest without worry.
I don't want this warmth taken from me.
But I know that too.
This peace won't last long.
When I signed the contract with Jinyeong-nuna, I specified that I would work at the company until the regular album is released.
But only a week has passed since I released the single album, and Korea is already in chaos.
Shit, I don't even know why everyone is so enthusiastic about someone like me.
Now, thanks to JYK's ironclad security, my double life is protected.
But how long this life will last is like a time bomb, it's unstable.
So actually, when I meet Jinyeong-nuna today, I plan to go all out.
Even if it's just a month.
To let me rest without any interference.
Then, instead of Yu Sihyun, I will pour everything into the regular album work as Park Jihyun.
These days, schedules and managers are all annoying.
Like a butterfly caught in a spiderweb.
Just frustrating.