Season's Greetings : Christmas Box Set

??Yes, ma’am.” I nod.

“Please call me Judy, and come on in. The girls are so excited to see you, and I’m all about supporting our local girl.”

I smile bashfully. “You’ve seen the ads.”

“Yes. It’s exciting. I saw your audition clip. I’m so sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you.” It’s insanely invasive when people you’ve never met know this much about you. I get continuously stopped at the counter in the mall by people who want to wish me luck or talk about my story. Fiona has become something of a celebrity at her school because of it. I don’t know how Yoon lives like this daily, and it’s much more intense. I’ve gotten plenty of unflattering messages from super fans who are upset I got to touch their beautiful K-Drama prince. Luckily, I have the block thing down to a science.

“It’s such a sweet thing for you to do,” she continues on.

I cringe mentally as I nod my head and fix an appreciative expression on my face. I miss my anonymity.

“Girls! Hart is here.”

Footsteps thunder down the stairs. A group of giggly girls ranging in skin tones and hair colors appears in their pajamas.

“Hi, girls.” I wave.

“Do you know Yoon?”

“Do you still talk?”

“What was he like in real life?”

“Is he as handsome as he looks on screen?”

I’m bombarded by questions.

“Ladies. Why don’t we let her get settled into the bathroom down here first?” Judy asks with a laugh. She leads me to a spacious bathroom that has a director’s chair set up.

“Is it okay if we take pictures and post them on social media?” Judy asks.

“Yes. Please tag me when you do. It helps me more than you can imagine.” My Instagram account is exploding, but I can’t help but wonder if it’s for the right reasons. There are so many girls out there thirsty for the slightest hint of Yoon.

“This is my daughter, Jane, the birthday girl.” A mini replica of her mother, the wavy-haired blonde grins and steps forward.

“Happy birthday, Jane. Thank you for having me over today to help make your day special. Let me get set up, and we’ll start.”

I quickly match their base tones and pick a few staple shades for eye shadow, blush, and lips. I’ll do a casual look, and from there add a few pops to take it to nighttime. In an appropriate, adult approved way. Jane takes the chair first, and the questions start. I answer them with precise, brief answers. I feel strangely protective of my new friend. My lips form into a genuine smile as I think about our conversations. He peels back another layer with every interaction we have. By the time I leave the house, I’m utterly drained.

Hart: I don’t know how you do this every day.

Yoon: What happened?

Hart: I had a freelance job at a slumber party, and all they wanted to ask me about was you.

Yoon: Sorry?

I laugh. The phone rings. Hearing his voice is rare.

“Hey.” I smile.

“I really am sorry. I know I’ve brought chaos into your life.”

“You’re worth it.”

He’s quiet. “Do you really mean that?”