Page 92

“No!” I’d been expecting the demand, but still my stomach drops hearing the words. “It’s not going to affect the show, I swear.”

“It’s not just about the show.”

Her voice scares me. “Eonni, what’s going on? Is something wrong?”

Hongjoo picks up the bouquet of flowers she brought along with the crushed cake. She stares at them in a daze. “I was coming over here to celebrate.”

I feel the squeeze of guilt. I hate that I’ve put that worried look on her face. The person who’s always been by my side through everything good or bad has been Hongjoo. “You mean the nominations?”

“Yeah, and to tell you that you got the offer.Musical Dreamswants you to be a recurring guest star next season.”

“Wh-what?” I stutter out. That’s not what I was expecting to hear. “How? I mean, when? I mean…how?”

“I know, it’s huge. They want you in LA in two weeks for a table read.”

“Two weeks?” I am shocked. “But what aboutOCM? The Hallyu Wave Awards?”What about Minseok?

“You’d fly out right after the awards. You’ll come back to finish up your commitment toOCM. But the producers are already aware and even though they’re disappointed, your contract with the show is over in a few weeks.”

I nod. I knew that. But I’ve heard rumblings of extending our run on the show. I thought that maybe, hopefully, we could keep going. Because a part of me connected the longevity of my time with Minseok to our time on the show. But now, this opportunity feels like one I can’t give up.

“If you say yes to the show, you’ll have to move to LA. It’s good timing since Bright Star is opening an LA branch this fall. They say you could be based out of there.”

“They want me to leave?”

Leave Seoul? Leave Minseok and everything that I’ve been building here?

Hongjoo takes my hand in hers. “They think it would be a fresh start. You’ve done well to fix things here. But there are still antis who could be a threat to your safety. We haven’t figured out who leaked the midsummer backstage video, yet. And we’re continuing to investigate the death threat and the most heinous online comments. It might be bad enough that we’ll have to take legal action. LA might be a safer place for you right now.”

“I need time to think about it,” I whisper.

“They want an answer this week,” Hongjoo says gently, almost apologetically. “You worked so hard for this, Hyeri. It means that people are recognizing your talent.”

“Yeah,” I agree, but why doesn’t hearing this make me happy? Isn’t this what I’ve always wanted? “It’s just a lot to take in.”

“I know it’s scary. But you need to figure out what your priorities are right now. And if you choose this, you have to commit.”

She doesn’t say it out loud, but I know what she’s implying. If I choose this opportunity, I can’t have Minseok too.

Idon’t answer any of the calls I get. Not from my mom. Not from Minseok.

I know what my mom will say. That I have to take this role. That it’s going to be a breakout opportunity.

And I know that if I talk to Minseok, I’ll have to tell him about the show in LA. But I’m scared. What if he asks me not to go? Will I be strong enough to say no? Do I even want to say no?

The next day, I’m in the kitchen when I hear the soft knock on the door. I know it’s Minseok. He has the code to my door, but he waits for me to answer.

“Are you hungry?” He lifts a pastry bag from a bakery that makes my favorite cream-filled buns.

“Yeah,” I say, for once not thinking about my diet.

He sits on the couch and holds the pastry bag out to me. I take it with a wobbly smile, sitting next to him.

“What happened with Hongjoo-noona?” he finally asks.

“What?” I squeak out. Does he know aboutMusical Dreams?

And then I realize he’s asking about her catching us together. I sigh, putting the pastry bag on the coffee table. My stomach is tied in too many knots to keep anything down. “She says it’s too risky to sneak around like this.”