Ahn Jaewan
Ahn Jaewan
With his boyish looks and charisma, Ahn Jaewan had established himself as one of the best idols in the country. Not only did he possess an angelic voice but there was a raw charm to him which amplified during his stage presence. Women, in particular, were attracted to his magnetic personality. Over the past decade, he had graced the covers of international magazines and all his albums were hits.
As a solo artist, he embarked on many tours and concerts, earning global accolades. Entertainment companies flocked to sign him but he had established his own agency, refusing to work with anyone else, citing them as 'creative killers'. As he came onto the stage, the audience's cheers would not stop.
Changshin raised his hand to silence them while he led Jaewan to the sofa while he himself took the seat behind a desk on the stage. Once settled down, Changshin began to converse with his guest.
"So, Jaewan! How are you feeling coming on this show after such a long time?" Changshin asked.
"I thought I'd never get an invitation to come here after I roasted the last host on his nighttime skin care routine," Jaewan joked. "So I was genuinely surprised to receive an invitation!"
The audience chuckled with him, adoring him for hit wit. Changshin shook his head in amusement, knowing fully well that Jaewan was not simply roasting the old host but insulted him to the point that the poor bloke had to resign.
"The song you won an Oscar for, The Lonely Beauty, is regarded as one of the best romantic songs of this decade," Changshin commented. "What do you say to that?"
"Anything I compose is bound to be the best," Jaewan claimed. "After all, have I ever written a bad song?"
Under the veil of smile was a smug confidence. Jaewan knew very well that he was the best in the industry and there were very few people who could match his skills. He was not boasting about himself but it was simply the truth. He just could not help but point it out.
"But you must have had some-" Changshin began but Jaewan cut across him.
"Just a second, sunbae," Jaewan frowned. Everyone watched curiously as he took out a handkerchief and began to wipe the table with deep concentration.
"What are you doing?" Changshin asked in surprise.
"The spot on the table," Jaewan said, still wiping the area. "It's annoying me."
Changshin was speechless as he stared at his guest's antics. Jaewan was so engrossed in getting rid of the spot, that he did not care about being filmed. Jaewan's manager, Chun Woobin, was watching everything from the backstage area and facepalming himself.
Damn that germaphobe! He cursed. The guy just had to display his obsession with cleaning on live TV.
"There!" Jaewan announced. "All cleaned up."
He beamed proudly at his work while the host gaped at him speechlessly. Jaewan was not simply a perfectionist but a neat freak as well. He would not rest until everything around him was spotlessly clean and organized. His staff had a lot of difficulty keeping up with his excessive demands regarding cleaning and if the payment was not good, they would have thrown him into the dumpster a long time ago.
"What were you asking again?" Jaewan politely asked Changshin who was baffled. It took the latter a few minutes to recall what the question was.
"Oh yes!" Changshin exclaimed. "The song is not only beautiful but also meaningful. A lot of the fan theories speculated that it was based on a woman you had once loved. Is that true?"
The audience held their breaths as they watched Jaewan's expression change. In fact, he was blank and zoned out after hearing the question as if he was remembering something. It was hard to tell if whatever he recalled was a pleasant memory or a sad one.
"It's based on love," he replied cryptically. "That's all I can say."
"Oh come on!" Changshin scoffed. "You're only twenty six and the most beloved idol of the nation! Surely, you must have dated or fallen in love?"
"I never dated," Jaewan revealed. "I have, however, fallen in love. I still am."
The audience gasped and Changshin leaned forward, eager to capitalize on this scoop.
"Fallen in love?" he echoed. "With whom? Who is the lucky lady?"
He winked at the audience while Jaewan simply smiled.
"I have fallen in love…" Jaewan began. There was a wishful look on his face as the image of an awkward yet beautiful doey eyed girl flashed in his mind. Everyone was eager to know about their beloved idol whose heart was stolen by a mysterious woman. Was she his girlfriend? All of them wondered.
"I have fallen in love with myself," he revealed with a laugh. "Don't ya'll think I have a beautiful face? I think anyone who sees me, falls in love with me. Including myself!"
The audience laughed at his joke while Changshin masked his disdain with a show of politeness. Jaewan was skilled in avoiding personal questions and his private life had remained a mystery to all fans which only endeared him to the public more.
He would give them enough fan service to maintain his relevance but keep them at arm's length, away from his private affairs. No one had any idea about his dating life and no matter how much people tried to probe into his life, he made sure that no one would be able to know anything more than what he revealed.
"Now!" Jaewan exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "Who wants to hear my new song?"
The audience was ecstatic as Jaewan strode over to the center stage, ready to sing.
As he waved and winked at the audience, somewhere in his mind, he wondered if the doey eyed girl was watching him as well.
....
Jina fell asleep on Gayoon's lap so the latter picked her up and took the little girl to her room. Tucking her into bed, she kissed Jina's forehead. The ghosts had gone to their stations on the roof where they stayed to keep an eye on any dangerous spirit which might venture their way.
Gayoon was about to lie next to her daughter when she realized that she left her cellphone in the living room. She quietly tiptoed out of the room and rushed downstairs to find her phone.
"Where is it?" she muttered, searching for it on the couch they were sitting on. "Aha! Found it."
As she picked up the phone, the front door opened and shut. Minho had just entered the mansion and for a moment, froze upon seeing Gayoon in front of him. Gayoon was also rooted to her spot, not daring to move. Her heartbeats increased rapidly and she was unsure of what to do or say.
"We-" she began to say but he coldly brushed past her as if she was invisible. No matter how much his heart ached to walk past Gayoon without glancing at her, Minho gave no indication that he knew her.
Instead, he left her standing there without even glancing back at her, not noticing the single drop of tear which fell from her eye.