Chapter 3 - Beginnings

At 8:00 am sharp the following day, I stepped out of my building and saw a sleek BMW waiting for me. The driver, dressed impeccably in a chauffeur's uniform, opened the door for me with a nod.

As I opened the door, I greeted the driver with a cheerful, "Hello! I'm Ilse."

The driver grunted in response, his stoic expression giving nothing away, and set off.

As we pulled into the heavily fortified garage of an opulent high-rise, a wave of realization crashed over me like a tidal wave of gold bricks—I had entered the realm of the mega-famous and absurdly wealthy. Their presence wasn't just evident in their ethereal beauty, impeccable designer garments, or the tasteful hints of lavishness that adorned their surroundings. No, it was the thorough pat down I endured at the hands of their security guard that truly drove the point home. I swear, forget airport security, these people could write a bestselling manual on meticulousness. They scrutinized every nook and cranny like it was an Olympic sport, leaving no stone unturned in their quest to protect their high-profile employer.

"Welcome!" Dae Min-ji exclaimed, sweeping me up in another Chanel-scented hug. "I hope the security team didn't give you too much trouble. I told them you didn't need to be searched, but those boys are always overly cautious."

Glancing back at the security team behind me, I couldn't help but notice the sparkle in their eyes, hidden behind their cool sunglasses. It was clear they idolized Min-ji, ready to go to any length to ensure her safety and happiness. Damn, do those "boys" simp hard for her.

"Jun-ho is at work, and Seo-yeon will be down in just a moment. But before we dive into the agenda, coffee?" she asked, motioning to someone behind me.

"How do you like your coffee? Our cook can make it any way you like! Espresso? Perfect! Just go with the same as me. We have a busy day ahead, so we'll need our caffeine." She paused, waiting for my approval.

"That works for me," I responded.

"Great!" she exclaimed, her smile growing wider. "Two quad espressos over ice with a splash of soy milk, and two green juices with extra ginger, please. You truly save my life every morning!" Min-ji squeezed the cook's hands and gave the cook an extra warm smile.

The chef blushed and stammered, "Anything for you, my dear."

It's not just the security team that simps for Dae Min-ji, the world simps for Dae Min-ji.

"Where was I? Oh, right! So, let's go over the agenda for today," Dae Min-ji began, someone placing an iPad in her hands with a preloaded schedule. "I figured we should jump right in to give you an idea of what to expect. I often take Seo-yeon to set with me when I'm shooting," she paused, noticing the confusion on my face.

"Oh! Jun-ho and I never told you what we do for a living, did we? I'm an actress, and he's a former idol turned current idol mentor. Sorry for not mentioning it earlier! It's been so long since we haven't been recognized that I assumed you already knew!" she finished with a laugh.

"It's okay," I said, trying not to let my lack of pop culture knowledge dampen the mood. "I don't really pay attention to social media or pop culture really... In fact, I once sat next to Drew Barrymore on the train and had no clue until my friend pointed it out later. It's happened more than once with other celebrities too. I've unintentionally sat next to Jerry Seinfeld and Katy Perry, and I was completely oblivious. Oh, and even a presidential candidate came to the restaurant I worked at in college, and I had no clue despite the swarm of security around. So, you're in good company!"

"Oh my," Dae Min-ji responded, giggling and glancing at the security team behind her, their stifled laughs evident. "Well, at least that's one less thing to worry about. Anyway," she continued, composing herself, "You'll be coming with Seo-yeon and me to the set today. You'll be staying with her, and I've prepared a bag filled with activities for you two to do. Let's finish up our coffee and juice and head out! Oh! And feel free to just call me Min-ji," she finished with another radiant smile.

"Ms. Meyer!" a little voice called out, nearly knocking me over as Seo-yeon's excitement engulfed me in a hug.

"Mama said you're going to hang out with me while she's working today. I'm sooooo excited! I brought soooooo many things for us to do. Everyone at Mama's work is normally so scary and boring, and they always try to talk about Mama or Papa and never want to read with me!" Seo-yeon tearfully exclaimed.

"Don't worry," I said, bending down to tie Seo-yeon's shoes, "I can read with you all day! And hey, if you want, I can even spoil next week's lessons for you." I winked mischievously.

Seo-yeon gasped and nodded enthusiastically. If there's anything I've learned about Seo-yeon in my first week of teaching her, it's that this girl loves school as much as most kids love sugar. She treats each day like a new episode of her favorite TV show and can't resist asking me for "spoilers" about the next day's lesson.

As we drove to the set, Min-ji explained the necessity of having at least two security guards with her whenever she went anywhere with Seo-yeon due to a past stalking incident. Even on set, there was a constant security guard by Seo-yeon's side and another close to Min-ji.

Just as we arrived at the set, Seo-yeon's security guard let out a soft, "Oh god," and bolted away. A couple of minutes later, Min-ji received a text from the security guard that said, verbatim, "FOODH OPOINSING."

The color immediately drained from Min-ji's face, and panic spread like wildfire through the crowd.

"What will I do?" she wailed, the drama queen within her emerging.

In a flash, people swarmed around her. A cup of cucumber water materialized in her hands, someone started fanning her, and a chair was magically conjured for her to sit on. Two individuals appeared, each carrying giant trays—one with cookies, the other with gimbap. If they weren't bringing something, they were busy talking in hushed tones or frantically texting, attempting to coordinate a replacement or find the perfect delicacy to lift Min-ji's spirits.

"Mama, what's wrong?" Seo-yeon asked, climbing onto Min-ji's lap, her little face etched with concern.

A wave of whispered comments echoed throughout the crowd like comments on a YouTube video. "So cute!" "Poor Seo-yeon." "Heartbreaking."

Curiosity piqued, the other actors began to wander over, drawn to the commotion like magnets.

Like I said, the WORLD simps for Min-ji.

"Don't worry, Min-ji," I said, feeling all eyes turning toward me, the pressure mounting. "I have a 3rd-degree black belt in Taekwondo. I can absolutely protect Seo-yeon."

"You're kidding me, right?" Min-ji deadpanned, locking eyes with me and instantly earning me the collective disdain of the crowd.

"No! Of course not!" I replied, my hands frantically waving in protest as sweat began to bead on my forehead.

"I can even give you a demonstration if you'd like!" I blurted out, my brain temporarily abandoning me.

Why on earth did I volunteer to give a Taekwondo demonstration at that moment? I could have explained how I've been training at my uncle's Taekwondo studio since I was five, and how I earned my 3rd-degree black belt just last year. I could have even pulled up one of those YouTube videos of me competing. But no, I, white woman extraordinaire, decided to offer a display of a Korean martial art to a room full of actors and staff from the most popular K-Drama.

Seo-yeon perked up, nodding excitedly, and Min-ji eyed me skeptically.

"Clear some room!" Min-ji's bodyguard called out. "Seo-yeon's nanny is about to give us all a Taekwondo show!" He barely managed to contain his laughter.

I glared at him, determined to prove myself. With a swift motion, I tied up my hair, taking a moment to stretch and collect my thoughts. I had three options: quit and run away, pretend I also suddenly had a severe case of food poisoning, or give a legitimate Taekwondo demonstration as a lifelong practitioner.

Oddly enough, the option of pretending to have explosive diarrhea was the most appealing, despite the fact that I was more qualified to execute a backflip and a flying kick than convincingly simulate an upset stomach.

As I contemplated how to fake vomit and defecate simultaneously, I glanced over at Seo-yeon. She flashed me the world's cutest thumbs-up, and in that moment, I made my decision. Diarrhea be damned. I moved to this country without knowing anything and though this may be scary as hell, finally, this is something I know I can do.

Taking a deep breath, I bowed to the expectant audience and began.