14 The Poster

"Idol King Jinhyun teases a comeback!" 

"Shin Jinhyun's video is a viral sensation!" 

"The return of the Idol King!" 

The news anchor on the TV was reporting the latest headlines. 

"Idol King, Shin Jinhyun, had recently returned to the country after a two year hiatus," the anchor read. "Last night, he uploaded a video of his impressive guitar skills which quickly gained nationwide attention. In less than an hour, the video gained over a million views and as of today, it exceeded twenty five million views worldwide, proving the Idol's lingering popularity. Is this the comeback of one of the Kings of kpop?"

Yoona turned off the TV. A smile of satisfaction played on her lips. 

"What are you smiling about this early in the morning?" 

Her father, Sung Gojin, descended downstairs. He was curious why his daughter was in such a happy mood. 

"Good morning, daddy!" she exclaimed as she stood up to hug her father. "I am very happy today." 

"Why is my princess so happy?" he laughed as he hugged her back. Together, they walked towards the dining table. 

"Jinhyun oppa went viral last night!" she exclaimed. 

The mention of Jinhyun soured Gojin's mood. 

"You're still hung up on that brat?" he asked, feeling annoyed. He was still angry that Jinhyun had rejected his offer to join CNQ Media. The rejection stung his ego. 

Yoona read his anger. "Calm down dad," she assured him. "He wasn't wrong to demand for complete creative freedom! Why would you reduce his comebacks anyway?" 

"Older idols are not profitable," Gojin grumbled. "And I gave him a good deal! He could have written his own songs and also become a Director at the company!" 

"Jinhyun oppa isn't like that," Yoona said, taking a bite out of her toast. "He's fiercely independent. It's what I love about him." 

Gojin stared at his daughter in dismay. She had been in love with this boy ever since she was sixteen. At first he dismissed it as a typical fangirl attraction. But Yoona's case was different. 

She had collected each and every souvenir related to Jinhyun. From his music CD's, posters, collectibles to recording all his interviews, Yoona had it all. She even paid some of his sponsors to send her the clothes he wore on stage. Her love for Jinhyun had no limit. 

As her father, he tried to recruit Jinhyun to his agency but his refusal only fueled Yoona's obsession. 

"He is too stubborn, my dear," Gojin stated in a soothing tone. Yoona gave him a strange look while a smile lingered on her face. 

"And how does that matter, dad?" she asked sweetly. "We'll end up together somehow. I just know it." 

Gojin sighed. There was no point in making her see reason. When it came to Jinhyun, she would not listen to any logic. 

Yoona finished her breakfast and headed upstairs to her room. As the daughter of the biggest media mogul of Korea, she grew up in luxury. 

Her mansion was situated in the posh, upper scale area of Seoul, overlooking the entire city. She never lacked anything in life. All she had to do was ask. There was no dearth of things in her life. She was educated abroad by her parents and was surrounded by high class socialites. Yet, she kept a polite and calm demeanor, never raising a voice against anyone beneath her status. 

When she entered her room, a maid was cleaning her desk. 

"Have you eaten your breakfast?" Yoona asked her. The maid stood up and bowed before replying, "Yes madam." 

Yoona smiled at her and went off towards the bathroom to take a shower. 

The maid was dusting the walls when the duster got caught with a poster and slightly tore it.

"Oh no!" the maid moaned. She quickly grabbed a tape and put it on the poster. Yoona had stepped out of the bathroom when she saw the maid taping her poster of Jinhyun's. 

"I'm sorry, madam," the maid apologized. "It only tore a bit so I fixed it with tape." 

Yoona gave her a curious smile. "It's alright," she reassured. "No harm done." 

The maid bowed and exited the room. Yoona kept on staring at the taped spot. She sat on her bed, intently staring at that spot for hours. 

…. 

That night, the maid took her leave for the day from the head butler. She was a poor university student who only worked part time for the Sung family. It was hard but they paid her well and she was able to cover her tuition fees with her salary. 

She walked through the narrow streets. Her house was a student unit situated at the poorer segment of Seoul. It was right behind the large open market on the northern side of the city and she had to climb several stairs to get to her unit. 

The maid put on her headphones and was humming to the song. She was climbing the stairs to her street when a large shadow blocked her way. Startled, she looked up to see a strange, bald man looking down at her with emotionless eyes. 

"Can I help-" she began. But her words were cut. 

The man shoved her backwards. Losing her balance, the maid stumbled and fell with a scream. She rolled down the long stairs, hitting her head hard. 

Blood oozed out of her skull as she lay there. Her voice came out in croaks. She was unable to move as the pain in her head tortured her mercilessly. 

The bald man stepped in front of her. He scooped down, placing a finger on her wound and pressed it hard. 

The maid screamed in agony as the pain intensified. He pressed so hard, that another bone on her skull cracked. 

"W-why…" she managed to whisper. 

"My client told me to send you a message," the man stated in a monotone. "It was for the tape."

The maid could not fathom what he said. She did not need to. For in the next second, a heavy blow to the head silenced her forever. 

…. 

The next morning, Sung Gojin entered Yoona's room. She was reading a magazine when she saw her father enter. 

"I'll be going out of town for some work, sweetie," he said. "I'll be out for a few days. Can I get you something?" 

Yonna smiled and shook her head. "I have everything, I need," she said, giving him a hug. 

"Alright, dear," he laughed and turned around when he paused. There was an empty space on Yoona's wall. Her entire wall was decorated with Jinhyun's posters. There was not a single space left there because she plastered it all only with his pictures. Even the ceiling had his posters. Gojin never stopped her and let her do whatever she wanted. 

But the one empty space on her wall piqued his interest. 

"Where is the poster which was here?" he frowned. 

"A maid touched it so I threw it away," Yoona stated in a nonchalant tone. Gojin stared at her in surprise. She looked normal, as if nothing big had happened. 

"I'll put another poster on it today," she said. "You should go now or you'll be late for your flight." 

Gojin, still frowning, turned on his heels to leave. He closed the door behind him. 

Will she be alright? He wondered. This thought haunted him for the rest of the day.