Page 20 of ASAP
As Secretary Park turns the car around, I pull out my phone and text Nathaniel. I’m bringing Hyemi back to the house to watch the episode with us.
His response is immediate. Nice. I’m assuming Hyemi’s staying the night. Should I clean out the guest bedroom?
I hadn’t thought of that, and I immediately feel guilty. I’d invited him to stay, only to kick him out.
Don’t worry about it, Nathaniel texts, reading my mind.Jaewoo’s in Seoul, staying at the apartment, so I’ll go hang out with him. Seriously, it’s not a big deal.
I make a split-second decision. Invite him over. If he asks, tell him I wanted to have a viewing party for everyone on the episode who’s in Seoul.Sun is currently in the countryside, filming his drama, and Youngmin is on a field trip.And you don’t have to clean out the guest bedroom. Hyemi will stay with me in my room.
So...He sends in a single message block.
Then another appears below it. Hyemi gets to see your room, and I don’t?
I laugh out loud. Both Secretary Park and Hyemi glance at me.
“It’s just...” I gesture at my phone, embarrassed. “Something... my friend said.”
Hyemi eyes me knowingly.
“Secretary Park,” I call up to the front seat. “Do you mind stopping over at a pizza restaurant on the way home?”
Nadine’s stepping out of a taxi when we pull up outside my house, her short hair swept back with a studded headband.
After thanking Secretary Park for driving us, I call out to her. “Eonni!”
I gesture with the pizza boxes in my hands to Hyemi, who’s holding fried chicken and cola. “This is my friend, Woo Hyemi. She’s debuting next week with ASAP, Joah’s first girl group.”
“It’s lovely to meet you, Hyemi,” Nadine says warmly. She’s dressed in a black cropped shirt and leggings, with her leather jacket thrown across her shoulders and silver glinting from her ears. “Congratulations on your debut.”
Hyemi beams. “Thank you!”
As we enter through the front gate, Nadine turns her head to view the garden. “Your house is beautiful, Sori.”
“Thank you. Nathaniel says it reminds him of the house in Parasite.”
“Ah, my sweet brother,” Nadine drawls, “always says the most charming things.”
I open the front door.
As we walk through, Hyemi says, “Nathaniel... Lee?”
Nathaniel slides sideways into the foyer in his house slippers. Over his clothes, he wears an apron printed with a large penguin. “Welcome!”
“You look like you’ve made yourself at home,” Nadine says.
My eyes dart to Hyemi, but she doesn’t seem to take notice of the comment, too busy gaping at Nathaniel.
“Nuna!” Jaewoo yells, emerging from the dining room.
“Jaewoo!” Nadine yells back. They run toward each other, then stop to do a very long and complicated handshake.
“I’ll take those,” Nathaniel says, walking over to Hyemi and me. He tucks the jug of cola beneath one arm, grabbing the bag of fried chicken. When he reaches for my pizza boxes, I hold them closer to my chest.
“I’ll bring them in.”
His fingers briefly trace the back of my hand as his eyes lift to mine. “Welcome home.”
“So it is true,” Hyemi says, and I freeze. “That was your sister in the photo.”
It takes me a moment to realize what she’s referring to. When I do, I’m a little shocked she brought it up. Hyemi must also realize what she’s said because she goes completely scarlet. “I didn’t mean—I wasn’t thinking—I’m sorry.”
Nathaniel laughs. “Don’t stress about it. I don’t think we were ever really introduced. My name’s Nathaniel.”
“I know,” she says, flushing prettily.
“Hyemi-yah.” Jaewoo approaches. “I’m glad you’re here. We need to represent Team Student Council Members tonight.”
“Don’t spoil the episode!” Nadine shouts from behind him.
We head into the dining room. I place the boxes of pizza on the table, then open them.
“Ooh,” Nadine says, shifting forward in her seat. “You didn’t tell me each slice has different toppings.”
“Stay strong, Naddy,” Nathaniel says, in a faux-pleading voice. “Don’t be tempted by the beautiful pizza. Remember Joe.”
“When in Korea,” she says ruthlessly, in English, “do as the Koreans do.” She grabs a slice with a half a cob of corn in the middle.
Nathaniel eyes me with hostile judgment as I pull out a fork and knife to eat my pizza.
Hyemi doesn’t speak much throughout dinner, but she laughs often, her wide-eyed gaze flitting between Nathaniel and Jaewoo, who for some reason decide to sit on opposite ends of the long table and keep on asking each other to pass things. Ajumma declines to join us but takes a few pieces of fried chicken and a cup of pickled radish back to her room, chuckling appreciatively about the “noisy house.”
When it’s close to seven o’clock, Nadine checks her phone. “Wait, isn’t your episode of Catch Me If You Can airing soon?”
We clean the table and hurry to the living room, where I turn on the television, switching to EBC.
As I turn around, I notice there’s only two empty spots on the sectional sofa, between Nadine and Hyemi or beside Nathaniel, as Jaewoo has decided to sprawl his entire body over the chaise part. There’s clearly more space between Nadine and Hyemi, and yet... I walk over and plop myself beside Nathaniel.
“I’ll get the lights,” Jaewoo says, jumping up to dim them. I can hear the others shift to fill the space, and Nathaniel moves as well, but only slightly.
The episode opens with an aerial pan of Seoul Arts Academy. Text overlays explain the school’s history, as well as a few of its most illustrious graduates. It’s also the alma mater of a certain popular boy band,the text reads. The video switches to a clip from XOXO’s newest music video.
Jaewoo points to the screen and laughs when Nathaniel appears, holding a red apple. “Your hair was so long!”
“And blue,” Nadine adds.
“I kind of liked the blue.” Nathaniel sweeps his hand through his hair. “Whoops, sorry, Hyemi,” he says, when his movements jostle her. He moves closer to me to give her space, and now we’re touching completely, from hip to shoulder.
I liked the blue hair too, but I don’t say that aloud.
Hyemi appears on screen and introduces herself.
“Hyemi, you’re so cute!” Nadine exclaims. Even though it’s clear she’s nervous, her personality comes off bright and cheerful.
Then it’s my introduction. My name is Min Sori. I cringe. I refused to listen to the recording of the radio show; watching myself is a new kind of torment.
After commercials, the TV splits into eight screens showing all the players. The next part is the game portion of the show, which I’m genuinely interested in if only to see what everyone else was up to while we were separated.
The camera pans to Hyemi first, who starts off the game in the gymnasium.
She’s clearly someone who talks when she’s nervous, speaking so quickly that the editor jokingly added subtitles. “I don’t know what to do. I’m so scared. What if I run into someone on the other team? Should I run? What if I’m caught first? Not that whoever is caught first should feel ashamed or anything. The first to lose is actually quite brave. Though still, please don’t let me be the first.” The subtitles eventually become gibberish themselves as she continues to speak at a rapid rate. The text edit reads: Is she rapping?
The episode cuts to different clips of Youngmin speeding through the school, rifling through storage closets and ending up in very odd places—one time in an air vent in the boy’s locker room.
“Youngmin-ah, what are you doing?” Jaewoo is laughing so hard he slides off the sofa to the floor.
The text beneath reads: Choi Youngmin finds hiding places that even the producers couldn’t find.
Jaewoo, Nathaniel, and Sun are all much calmer than their youngest member, though Jaewoo shares a bit of that energy, mostly running or jogging the whole time, and clearly searching for tokens.
I don’t think Sun runs even once, leisurely walking outside the school. At one point he stops to admire the flowers and explains to viewers how he had the responsibility of watering them when he was a student. Does he think he’s on a gardening show?the editor adds.
As for Nathaniel, though he keeps a fast pace, he only glances into every room he passes, covering the most territory out of everyone, but not actively searching for tokens. The text reads: Is Nathaniel on the hunt? But for what... orwhom?
“Were you going straight to tagging people out?” Jaewoo asks. “I respect your strategy.”
Nathaniel doesn’t answer, though I can feel his body tense at the question. Then the screen switches to me and I’m completely distracted.
The cafeteria. I remember the musical tune of the bell as the game started, the nervousness and excitement that raced through my veins. When the Sori on screen finds the first token, even I feel a sense of satisfaction.
“Damn, Sori,” Jaewoo says, impressed.
I wait for the camera to cut to the next person, but it remains on me. He can’t breathe if it’s zipped all the way,I say, holding the first plushie.
My cheeks go up in flames. I thought they might edit that out. A tough girl exterior but a soft interior?the text reads.Who are you, Min Sori?
“It is a cute mascot,” Jaewoo acknowledges.
Nathaniel’s gaze remains riveted to the screen.
The episode continues to follow me. I check the time. I’ve officially had more screen time than everyone else in the episode. A nervous feeling flutters in my belly—will XOXO fans resent that I’ve had more screen time than the members?
The screen splits, showing my point of view as I go up the stairs and, at the same time, Nathaniel’s POV hiding from Sun in a classroom.
The camera shows Sun turning, making it appear as if he’s about to catch me down the hall.
Then a hand reaches out, grabbing my wrist. The episode cuts to commercial.
“That’s where they end it?” Nadine shouts. “I’m so mad. Whoever edited this is a genius.”
After a commercial for a popular instant coffee brand and the grand opening of a new Ferris wheel by the Han River, the Seoul Eye, the episode returns. There’s a short scuffle as I’m dragged into an empty classroom. The camera pans the room in a haywire movement before focusing on Nathaniel and me crouched close together on the floor. Two delinquents meeting after school,the text reads.
The camera angle switches from me to Nathaniel, focusing on his face. “Can you turn off your light?” Nathaniel asks, and then the screen goes dark.
The video finally cuts to someone else, and it’s Jaewoo who’s already with Hyemi, the editor having removed their meeting.
“Jaewoo-seonbae found me hiding in the teachers’ office,” Hyemi says. I sneak a glance at Hyemi to see if she’s upset that she hasn’t had as much screen time, but she’s absorbed in the episode, laughing at the students who ignore Nathaniel’s dancing.
I feel embarrassed when I’m shown finding the second token. “They clearly gave me the ace edit.”
“Don’t question it, Sori,” Nadine says. “Embrace your inner variety show goddess.”
Next is the chase to the elevator, then the screen switches to footage from one of the cameras set up inside, with Nathaniel and me standing on either side of the elevator car. They don’t play the audio from our mics. Instead, the text reads: We will be reunited with them soon.
By the time I’m shown finding the third token, I’m resigned to my starring role in the episode. When Youngmin appears out of nowhere like some silent tagging assassin, I’m cheering him on with everyone else.
“I have to head back to school,” Nadine says once the episode is over. “Jaewoo, can you drive me?” I hadn’t seen Jaewoo’s car, but he must have parked it down the street.
“Sure. Nathaniel and I can drop you off on the way back to the apartment.”
As Hyemi and I walk Nathaniel and the others to the door, I have the reckless thought of blurting out the truth so that he can stay, but quickly smash the impulse.
When I glance up, I find Nathaniel watching me. Tomorrow, he mouths, and my heart lightens in response.
Afterward, Hyemi and I go up to my room. I lend her a pair of pajamas and a spare toothbrush. Normally, I’d be on my phone, looking up reactions to the episode, but I don’t want to cause her any stress, so I’m careful to leave my phone face down on the side table.
“How do you know Jaewoo and Nathaniel-seonbaenim?” she asks once we’re settled in my large four-poster bed. She’s chosen not to displace any stuffed animals but sleep with them piled atop her, same as me.
“I’ve known them since middle school...” I begin, then explain how because we were all trainees at Joah, and also attended SAA, we became friends.
“My friends are all in Canada,” Hyemi says. “We text and talk over video but it’s not the same.”
“I won’t say that you’ll make new friends,” I say gently, “but you’ll make more. And the friends that you were meant to keep, you will because you’ll put in the effort.”
“I hope you’re right, Seonbae,” Hyemi says, softly. A few minutes later, she asks, “Do you think Nadine got a haircut recently?”
“I don’t know. Why do you ask?”
But Hyemi’s already fallen asleep.
The next morning, Hyemi heads out after breakfast. She needs to get back to the dorms in time to leave for the airport, as the ASAP members are flying to Thailand to shoot their music video. While munching on a piece of toast, I finally open SNS to see viewer reactions to the episode. They’re unanimously positive. I sink into my chair with relief.
XOXO hold their titles as reality TV kings. Hyemi is praised for her fresh appearance, and excitement is already drumming up for ASAP’s debut.
Then I catch sight of another article.
Who Is Min Sori? Do We Have a New Variety Show Queen?
And another and another.
All You Need to Know About Min Sori, Daughter of Seo Min Hee
Min Sori Is the Ace of Tonight’s Episode of Catch Me If You Can
My gaze lands on the number one trending article, upvoted to the top of the site.
Are Nathaniel Lee and Min Sori... Dating?