It was an internal rhetorical question. She knew the answer, of course. Her father.
Her father, who had abandoned her and her mother and younger sister in Japan when she was five.
Her father, who re-entered her life during her first year in university with a proposal to help make all their struggles go away.
Her father, who changed her life’s path and forced her down the road of business management instead of chemistry like she had always wanted. Who made her agree to do as he said for her mother and little sister’s sake. Who gave her a position at his company nobody wanted, and told her to make it work.
To be fair, she did make it work. She headed up SnapShine’s Public Relations department, and did such a damn good job in Tokyo that she was moving on to oversee their segment in Seoul. Thank god she had had the sense to learn Korean over the years, too. Her father wouldn’t have cared if she could communicate or not. Make it work, or else those hospital bills will go unpaid again.
She hated him. But, as with everything that was tossed her way, Lenora Love perservered. She made it work. Just as she would make things work for this incoming client: Hyun Ryu, otherwise known as ZEN, the fallen playboy musical actor whose reputation was ruined after harrassing a young upcoming star, Echo Girl. He denied the allegations, but that didn’t save his career.
Lenora had done a bit of research on him: what he had been in, how his career started, his agency before they dropped him in light of the scandal, his strengths and weaknesses… it was an interesting read, to say the least.
She also looked into Echo Girl, as she was going to be a pain in the ass as they attempted to fix his reputation. She had a rabid set of teenage stans who were going to harrass her client. Did he deserve it? As far as they knew, yes. But whether he had done what Echo Girl had said or not – Lenora had a sharp instinct telling her she wasn’t as innocent as she seemed, if only because young starlets rarely were – didn’t matter.
If he was a client, then she would do everything she could to make sure he was brought back on top. And hopefully keep him from pulling stupid shit again, too.
The intercom on her desk buzzed and she hit the button for her secretary to speak.
“Hyun Ryu to speak with you, Miss Love.”
“Thank you. Send him in.”
Waiting by the front desk was more awkward than Zen had anticipated. The secretary was likely aware of the allegations he’d dealt with against him, if her demeanor was anything to go by; she continued to eye from her desk, as though in warning that he was required to keep his distance. Despite his innocence, the prolonged treatment never failed to make him feel ashamed ( he was a pariah in the eyes of anyone aware of his history, a fact he was never able to fully reconcile ).
Inwardly, Zen cursed Jumin for forcing this suggestion upon him in the first place. He should have maintained his position and insisted that he would handle his comeback in Korea himself, yet the nagging of the entire RFA had broken him.
While he had taken a few jobs in the US during his hiatus in Korea, more-so to maintain his own sanity than any anticipation that he would garner a following there, the ramifications of his return were always locked in the back of his mind. It wouldn’t be an easy task to rebuild his fanbase, especially since Echo Girl’s father was backed by puppets in the industry prepared to sully Zen’s name at a moment’s notice, yet he couldn’t give up only the only dream he had which lent his life any meaning.
As he leafed through a magazine, attempting to appear as nonthreatening as possible, he fought the urge to send Jumin a profanity laden text to vocalize his displeasure. What if this Love lady was under Echo Girl’s thumb, as well? Jumin better hope not, or there would be more than words exchanged as soon as he left the building.
Zen’s slightly murderous thoughts were interrupted by the voice of the secretary breaking through the awkwardly thick silence informing him that he could enter the back office. With a brief comment of gratitude, he shelved the magazine and made his way down the hall.
Steady breaths to calm himself halted as he carefully opened the door, uncertain of whether to appear meek or simply present as himself. “Ms. Love? I’m Hyun Ryu —but I guess you already knew that.” A smile that Zen hoped seemed charming rose along his lips as he closed the door behind him. “Jumin Han recommended you. He seemed to know the company pretty well.” Crossing the floor, he extended his hand. “Thanks for meeting with me.”
