AAE -- Wishes Of The Heart

Chapter 67

written by LoveCR2 -- 2005

edited by All-About-AAE -- 2017

 

"What I'm saying, Correspondent Jin, is that you should never have met my oppa in the first place." -- Park So-Won

 

 

PARIS FASHION WEEK...

 

"This is MBS Special Correspondent Jin Sun-Mi, reporting live from Paris Fashion Week..."

 

Behind Sun-Mi, people are leaving their seats from the galleries along both sides of a fashion show runway.

 

"On tomorrow's 'Fashion Today!' program, we'll showcase the Versace and Christian Dior Fall/Winter Ready-To-Wear collections, deliver exclusive behind-the-scenes reports on Yves St. Laurent and Missoni, and interview top model Karolina Kurkova and designer Michael Kors. You won't want to miss it! ..."

 

She pauses, then smiles for the camera and waves...

 

"Join me again tomorrow... Thanks for watching!"

 

"Cut!" the PD calls loudly. "Good job, everyone..." He checks his watch and tells Sun-Mi, "Correspondent Jin, we have 30 minutes before our next interview. Why don't you take a break, before we do this again in English..."

 

"Sure," Sun-Mi replies with a tired smile, then says to no one in particular, "I need to sit down for a while."

 

After a 14-hour day that began at 6 AM with makeup and script review sessions, rushed through ten location shoots, three interviews, and a dozen wardrobe changes mandated by advertisers' contracts, she is exhausted...

 

The PD catches a crew member with his eye, and orders, "You! Get Jin Sun-Mi some water."

 

With her personal stylist and makeup assistants in tow, Sun-Mi trudges over to the first row of chairs in the gallery and plops down with a long sigh. The stylist starts fussing over a few errant locks, as the makeup girl pats beads of perspiration off Sun-Mi's brow, then starts brushing another layer of blush on her cheeks.

 

"Miss Jin, for you," the crew member announces as he arrives with a bottle of Perrier.

 

She rewards him with a smile. "Thanks..."

 

 

At the far end of the runway, Sun-Mi notices another film location crew setting up, and is surprised to see the MBS logo on the sides of the portable equipment containers.

 

"What's going on over there?" she asks her stylist. "Do we have another news team on location?"

 

"They're filming scenes for the next episodes of Runway here this week," the stylist answers. "You didn't know?"

 

Sun-Mi immediately realizes... if Runway is taping, that means Park So-Won is here, and possibly Senior, too ... The coincidence of being in the same place with them gives her a queasy feeling.

 

"I guess I missed that memo," she grumbles, then abruptly waves her assistants off. "That's enough! Go... take a break or something..."

 

The two assistants exchange puzzled glances, wondering if something they'd done had prompted Sun-Mi's sudden irritation, but are glad to have the time off. They walk away, chatting together.

 

Sun-Mi closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Worry creases her brow as she deliberates over what she should do and say if Senior and Park So-Won happen to appear in front of her, together...

 

 

"Correspondent Jin Sun-Mi?" A feminine voice addresses her with more finality than question.

 

Sun-Mi opens her eyes to see a pair of tall stiletto heels -- from Badgley Mischka's Spring 2000 Collection, her experienced eye instantly recognizes -- planted firmly on the floor in front of her. Looking up, she sees Park So-Won in full makeup and costume for a runway scene.

 

"Finally, we meet," So-Won says crisply, "Mind if I join you?"

 

She sits down next to Sun-Mi without waiting for an invitation.

 

"Suit yourself," Sun-Mi replies coolly, preferring not to have anything to do with So-Won if possible. "Actually, I have to get ready for my next take."

 

"What I have to say will only need a minute," So-Won insists.

 

She places her left hand atop Sun-Mi's right to forestall her departure, in a deliberate move that has the intended result, as Sun-Mi immediately focuses on the gigantic sparkling diamond on So-Won's left ring finger.

 

"Gorgeous, isn't it?" So-Won boasts. "Personally, I've never seen another as large and beautiful."

 

"I hope you and Director Yoon are happy," Sun-Mi forces the words over the lump blocking her throat and through gritted teeth.

 

"Oppa told me about you," So-Won deliberately uses the familiar term for Hyung-Chul. "How you met in England and became friends."

 

"Yes, we were," Sun-Mi acknowledges.

 

"Did you know that oppa and I first met at Cambridge, too? We became very close at that time, and if circumstances hadn't required me to leave, I'd have never left his side..."

 

"I see," Sun-Mi answers, not sure where this 'conversation' is going.

 

"What I'm saying, Correspondent Jin, is that you should never have met my oppa in the first place. So I hope you don't have any hard feelings that I'm taking my rightful place again by his side," So-Won clarifies her intent in talking with Sun-Mi.

 

"Of course not," Sun-Mi answers with a forced smile. "We were only friends, nothing more."

 

"I'm glad to hear that," So-Won smiles too, now that she put Sun-Mi on record. "I've heard that you really are sweet and kind, like your name. I hope we can be friends, too."

 

So-Won holds out her hand; Sun-Mi has no choice except to take it or be rude. She does, with reluctance.

 

 

"I'll tell oppa I saw you today," So-Won remarks cheerily when they release their grip. "He usually come to watch my scenes -- he's so attentive toward me -- and I still wonder how I met such a wonderful man! Unfortunately he texted that couldn't make the shoot today, or I'm sure he'd have loved to see you. Maybe some time we can all get together, and you two can reminisce about old times, and..."

 

... don't listen to this, she's deliberately laying it on thick to provoke me! ... Sun-Mi tells herself, counting the seconds of each breath and keeping her hand clasped to restrain the urge to wring So-Won's long, delicate neck and shut her up ...

 

"Correspondent Jin? Two minutes," the PD calls loudly across the room, giving Sun-Mi a respite.

 

"Sorry, I have to go," Sun-Mi is curt. She abruptly stands, anxious to end So-Won's torture by 1000 cuts.

 

So-Won stands too, and with a smile that oozes contempt for her defeated rival in love, gloats victoriously as she thrusts the dagger deep and twists it, "When the date is set, we'll send you an invitation."

 

"One minute," the PD calls for Sun-Mi again, preventing a possible homicide, as Sun-Mi was about to fire piercing darts in retaliation...

 

"Yes... I'm coming!" Sun-Mi calls back to the PD, ignoring So-Won, to leave her guessing at the severity of her wound.

 

 

After Sun-Mi hurries off, So-Won practices her catwalk strut back to where the crew techs are arranging lights and microphones for the scene. Spotting the costume girl, she waves her over...

 

"Hey... do something useful and put this back for me," she orders the hapless assistant, handing over the 'diamond' ring. "I don't need it for my next scene..."