Page 124 of When Worlds Collide
Hana greeted me at security, and upon seeing what had up to that point been a rather satisfied expression on my face – even though half of it was covered by a blue surgical mask –proceeded to ask me with some glee, if it was because I’d seen the latest gossip blog.
I held my hand under the sanitiser station and then rubbed the alcohol gel into my hands as I gave her a blank look. She got her own gel as I scanned my pass to enter through the glass partitions. She followed me close behind, earning a scowl from the security guard.
“ENT-Tabs?” She caught up to me.
“The what?” I scowled at her, thinking I’d misheard, pulling that damn surgical mask down under my chin.
“Oh my god, girl, really? You’ve worked here nearly two months, and you’ve not heard of theTabs?”
“Keep saying the words, maybe it’ll start making sense.” I sighed, jabbing at the call button for the elevator.
How could I tell a normal person that the reason I deliberately avoided trash columns was because they often featured absolute bollocks about my famous boyfriend and his equally famous mates?
But Hana would not be deterred as we boarded the elevator together. She seemed especially perky this morning.
“It’s a gossip blog that someone writes specifically about ENT. They publish a new article every Friday!” She grinned at me in the reflection of the doors. It was a sharp sort of smile, and it occurred to me then that she really did seem to love the kind of tabloid garbage that often surrounded the industry, despite actually working with the people who were often written about. Or maybe it was because she worked alongside them.
If anything, I’d have thought that working here would make a person less inclined to give any time to the drivel in those gossip rags, having seen the very real humans that performers and actors were.
“Most people think the author is someone who camps outside,” she went on, oblivious to my disdain for the subject. “But I think it’s someone in this building.”
Hana looked positively gleeful at the idea that an employee would be spreading online rumours. I guess we all had to have hobbies.
“Yeah, I don’t really read those things…”
The doors slid open, and we each stepped off. I’d hoped she’d drop this topic as we re-entered a public space, but nope.
“So anyway, this morning there was a really long article about GVibes.”
I had to force myself to keep my pace normal, despite nearly tripping over my own feet.
“Well, not really GVibes. Specifically, Baek Jihoon.”
“Uh huh.”
We’d moved into the break room, where Mr Park usually delivered our morning agenda. This was handy because this is also where the coffee lived. There were only a handful of other juniors in here at the moment, and I raised my hand in greeting on the way over to the coffee machine.
They’d gradually lightened up around me, and I suspected it was because they’d figured out I was just here to do a job and not spy on the talent – which was apparently what they’d thought, according to Hana.
“TheTabsclaims to have pictures of him and a girl!” Hana’s voice squeaked in excitement.
“Ow, fuck!”
“Shit, Kaiya, are you okay?”
“Yeah, it was just a splash.” I shuffled over to the sink to run cold water on my finger that I’d just accidentally run under the hot water dispenser.
“Clumsy this morning. Not getting enough sleep?” Hana’s face was screwed up in concern.
“Yeah, I mean, no. What did you say?”
“Hmm?”
“About the pictures? Of Ji-of Baek Jihoon.”
“Oh, yeah, isn’t that fucking wild? Apparently, they were taken at the party in December. You weren’t here then.”
Hana looked off to the side, a frown on her face.
