@ suncrassi
The scandal that broke regarding Hyun Ryu was catastrophic -- from a career perspective, an entertainment industry perspective, and just a general life perspective. The golden boy known for his pretty face, endless charm, and astonishing work ethic (and ability to heal quickly???) had once been endlessly praised was now facing backlash from a scandal that rocked the gossip magazine racks for months -- for the second time in his career.
It started with stalking accusations: photos released of him appearing in a fan’s backyard. Then the rumors spilled in: women came forward accusing him of secretly dating him and exhibition controlling behavior (to make sure they wouldn’t snitch!), berating his staff...
It was a mess. And a shame, too, because as an actor he was excellent -- but didn’t matter anymore, though. Not when the world thought you were an asshole.
“Here’s the thing, though,” she piped up among her newly-assigned coworkers, “Is any of it actually true?”
The table erupted into what was clearly condescending laughter.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s true, Lenora. He’s our new client.”
She frowned, “No, I know that. But considering the claims from the Echo Girl scandal on top of this, shouldn’t we --”
“Look. We know your father wanted you to get experience with this client. But this is really big for us. We can’t afford any newbie mistakes. You understand, don’t you?”
“All we need you to do is monitor is social media and make sure he doesn’t act inappropriately. Just...pretend you’re a paid intern, okay?”
She was mad. She was so infinitely, aggressively mad. But of course, blowing up at these assholes would just prove their point, wouldn’t it? She was stuck. Stuck babysitting a potentially rotten celebrity and being stuck on Twitter duty like a college kid at their dad’s office.
It took all her willpower to show up to her initial meeting with the ex-superstar with a smile -- and coffee, too. She hoped he would be receptive. If he was a bastard to her, she might walk right out of the cafe.
Lenora arrived at the meeting spot a few minutes only, solely to make sure that she and Ryu wouldn’t be harrassed by the press once inside. When that was all settled, she took her seat and waited.
Please don’t be what the papers say.
