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“You won’t.” Minseok sounds so confident, but it just highlights my own intense doubts.

“But what if the public sees right through us? What if they hate me even more after this?”

“You still do that what-if thing, huh?”

“What?”

He smiles, and it’s almost kind. “That thing you always used to do when we were younger. You’d ask the strangest what-if questions all the time. ‘What if I lose my voice entirely in the middle of an evaluation?’ ‘What if I have an allergic reaction to a face mask?’ ‘What if I fall into a sewer hole and no one finds me for days?’”

“Sewer holes can be dangerous,” I mutter.

“If you’re a cartoon character.” He laughs.

“It’s a real concern.”

“Okay, but what if it all works out way better than we thought?”

“It won’t,” I almost blurt out. Because things usually don’t work out well for me. And when they do, it just means the other shoe is yet to fall.

The doors open then and that same assistant PD who first greeted us appears. He ushers us inside. Cameras start to flash immediately, and I resist the urge to check my cheeks again, but they actually don’t feel flushed anymore.

I guess my annoyance at Minseok distracted me from my nerves. Right now, he’s smiling and waving at the cameras as we pose in front of the large banner with theOur Celebrity Marriagelogo. I have a set of poses I know work well from all angles. I am working through them methodically when Minseok steps closer, holding out his hand. I lean away, surprised by the unexpected closeness when I realize he’s making half of a hand-heart. He gives me a raised brow, waiting for me to finish it. And I have no choice, it would be too awkward to leave him hanging. So, I finish the heart, sending a weak smile at the cameras.

A short table is set up with two mics for the question-and-answer portion. Minseok pulls out my chair for me with a smile. A show for the reporters. But I force myself to smile back at him and accept the seat.

This is just another performance, I remind myself.You’re good at that.

The questions begin immediately.

“What made you agree to do this show with your packed schedules?” The first is an easy one given by a reporter known to be friendly to Bright Star.

I lean in to answer first. “I’m a huge fan of the show. I watched the entire last season, since one of our sunbaes was on it.” A reference to a veteran actor represented by Bright Star, good cross-promotion for the company. “So, when the show fit into my schedule, I jumped at the chance.”

“What about you, Moonster-ssi?”

“I figured I’d earn points with my mom if I finally settled down.” He grins so naturally at the responding laughter, and I wonder if his answers also had to be pre-written or if he’s making this up on the fly. I can’t really imagine the staid marketing managers writing that kind of line.

“Moonster-ssi, will we be able to expect the other members of WDB to make an appearance on the show?”

“We haven’t finished planning for the episodes, but I’m sure they’ll come to the wedding if they can. If Jaehyung comes, we’ll have to double the catering budget.”

That gets a few more good-natured laughs. He’s so good at this, it’s making me feel even more stiff in comparison.

“What about you, Hyeri?” another reporter asks. “Will any members from Helloglow be attending the ceremony or housewarming?”

I lean in with the prepared answer, remembering to add a smile for the cameras. “I’d love for some of the girls to come. With our busy schedules we rarely have the chance to get together these days. But they’re all definitely invited.”

The response isn’t as enthusiastic as Minseok got, but I see some nods at the acceptable answer. I feel like I’m somehow failing even as I perfectly recite the answers. If only Minseok wasn’t here to make me feel so stiff and unskilled.

A reporter in a dark red windbreaker raises their hand. “What do you think of the video from backstage at the midsummer K-pop festival?”

I tense even though this is an expected question. Minseok leans forward to answer first; he’ll smooth the way with the explanation and I will add my short apology at the end. I recite the words in my head to prepare:I’m sorry for being lacking; I have reflected on my actions and will work harder in the future.

“We’re embarrassed about that accident and grateful that no one was hurt. We were so impressed by how the staff took quick action to make sure that the space was made safe so the show could move forward smoothly. We regret that any of our actions created any concern or worry among fans but appreciate that they continue to support us both.”

I lean forward to add my part when red windbreaker interrupts. “How do you feel about the rumors that the fight was due to jealousy over Kim Ana?”

That wipes my carefully rehearsed answer out of my brain. It wasn’t one of the questions we were anticipating. It’s obviously a question for me, but I don’t know how to answer it in a graceful way. If I say I’m not jealous they won’t believe me. If I try to brush it off, it might come across as caustic. Still, everyone is waiting for an answer and it feels like the flashes of the cameras are getting faster.