“Oh, sure. They’re like my brothers,” said Jiyeon, “except I don’t love them.”
“Perfect! Such a professional. You’ll sail right through this.” Erin summoned the stylists. “Okay, we’ll do these earrings with the flowers. Her followers will remember those. We should throw them a bone, but let’s go with plain black for everything else, like the regular diner staff. Get us more of that by tomorrow.”
Jiyeon changed into the clothes that Erin wanted her to wear. She let them plait her hair into Emma’s old standby, a braided bun. She still opted for the same style multiple days a week, working at the shop. It was almost possible to believe that this was an ordinary shift. Here she was, dressed for work. Unfortunately, having to answer interview questions ruined the mirage.
She’d just finished when the cameras reoriented themselves, fixed on the main entrance. Jiyeon realized that the producers were directing a new arrival. “Great energy there. I think that’ll work, Mr. Hong.”
“Oh, it’s just Arthur,” came the breezy reply. Jiyeon ducked behind a partition. She’d forgotten he was scheduled to come in today.
At the apartment on Ivy Lane, in the bedroom she shared with Janie, there was a corkboard covered in pictures from high school. These were crowded with the youthful faces of old friends. In the largest, Jiyeon had her eyes closed, laughing. Thejoke was forgotten, the moment lost, but the boy beside her remained frozen forever in a dramatic pose: down on one knee, brandishing a fake sword. Arthur Hong, hero of the hour. The star, the protagonist, the main character.
And here he was now, polished on the outside, virtually unchanged on the inside. If Jiyeon didn’t know him so well, she’d assume that the producers had dressed him to fit the image of ‘respectable attorney’ before recording his interview. He always looked like this, though. The impeccable tailoring and jubilant expression were just standard Arthur.
He hadn’t seen her yet. There was still a chance to put this off a bit longer. But Jiyeon found her escape route blocked by Eunjae, who exited the kitchen at the same time she tried to enter it. He caught her by the shoulders to prevent a collision. The touch was swiftly withdrawn.
“Sorry,” said Eunjae. “Didn’t want to ruin your clothes.” Indicating the pancake batter spilled all over his apron, he added, “I’m kind of a mess right now.”
“That’s okay. I’m the one who almost ran you over.” Were they being overly familiar with each other? Did she have a stupid smile on her face? Jiyeon backed up another step. She said, “You look like a successful diner employee.”
“I know,” he replied, laughing. “Some of the batter even turned into pancakes.”
“See? You’re hired.”
“Emmie!” Arthur’s polished shoes came tapping across the floor at a clip. “Yes! You’re here!”
Jiyeon turned to greet him, accepting the inevitable. She felt Eunjae’s hand at the small of her back. He’d forgotten himself for a second. “Yeon-ah,” he whispered. “Is that Arthur?MyArthur?”
“Oh, he’s your Arthur now? Really?”
Cameras pivoted in their direction, magnetized to Arthur’s every move. “Hang on. Are you…? Have we…?” Arthur dropped his voice, nudging Jiyeon with an elbow. “Emms, is this Ari?MyAri?”
“He’s your Ari? Since when?”
Her comment was lost in a flurry of exuberant greetings. Eunjae came forward and Arthur grabbed him in a hug. “This is him,” he yelled at the top of his lungs. “This is my pen pal!”
Brothers tumbled into the room. Their presence went unnoticed. Arthur and Eunjae were absorbed in conversation, the former yammering away about how exciting it was to meet in person, and wasn’t Monroe just a hidden gem, and wow, the bird-watching around here! The lake life! Just excellent!
The cameras ate it up, but Max stepped in front of Jiyeon, convinced that this stranger might trample her by accident. “Who’s the fucking Disney prince?”
“That’s the lawyer,” said Kazu, snapping his fingers. “Right? The guy who helped Ari with the contract?”
Jiyeon was now surrounded by men in pastel diner uniforms. She wondered how they’d managed to elude Denny’s watchful eye. “Uh-huh,” she answered. “Arthur Hong.”
“Ding, ding, ding,” said Jesse, giggling. “Yay! Zuzu was right about something!”
“He’s a Hong, too? Aww! We need to be best friends!”
Nicky popped up. “Hear me out, Gyu. Cage match, no weapons, last Hong standing. Wouldn’t that be a fun game? Wouldn’t it be so funny?”
“Shut up,” Kei hissed at everyone in general. “Why are you so loud?”
As for Jungwoo, he tapped Jiyeon on the shoulder. “You dated him, didn’t you? Before?”
“So what if she did, hyung? Why do you care? What does it matter, that’s over now—”
They scrambled when Denny showed up, ordering them back to the perils of new hire training. A producer pulled Jiyeon aside. “Emma, could we see you again around 2:30? Then you and Arthur could interview together. Unless… well, would that be awkward? Given your history.”
“It’s all good,” Arthur answered for her. “We get along fine, no worries.”
