A Cup of Coffee

Cherry was stunned at his revelation. He was the mysterious Mr. J? 

"Y-you know?" she asked in disbelief. How was this possible? The shaman had mentioned that the man who would be able to see her true face even during the day will be able to change her fate. But now she was tasked to change this very person's fate. 

And he happened to be the reincarnation of the man she despised the most! 

"I do," Jinhyun replied. "At first I was confused by what I saw. After all…" 

He lowered his voice. "You turned a person into a chameleon!" he whispered. 

Cherry gave him a threatening look. "Let's talk elsewhere," she gritted. They were still at the hospital's corridor and were in the danger of being overheard by someone. She motioned him to follow her. Jinhyun tailed her until they reached the hospital's back garden. 

She led him further away from the people who were enjoying the night breeze until she stopped in front of a cabinet for garden tools. 

"Go in," she ordered. Jinhyun stepped in and Cherry closed the door.

It was a very small and narrow space. They were uncomfortably close together. Jinhyun cleared his throat as her body almost pressed against his. 

But Cherry gave no signs of displeasure. In fact, she was scrutinising him intently. 

"Talk," she said. 

"I was waiting at the cafe for you to show up," he stated. "And when I saw you chasing that guy from a distance, I followed you only to find out that you can curse people like that." 

"So you have a tendency to stick your nose into other people's business?" she snapped. 

Jinhyun was baffled by her behavior. 

"I don't follow you on purpose!" he claimed. "It was all a coincidence." 

"Seeing me at a cafe years ago," she stated, counting on her fingers. "Witnessing me curse people, moving into the apartment next to mine. I hardly believe it all to be a coincidence. What will the media say when they find out the Idol King is a stalker?" 

Jinhyun narrowed his eyes. 

"Since you know my secret, I hope you will stay quiet about this," she warned. "Otherwise you've seen what I can do." 

Jinhyun snickered. "You can't do anything to me unless someone makes a request," he pointed out. 

Cherry's lips quivered. "But you saw me curse the man in the alley," she said. It was a bluff she was calling. The only reason she was able to curse him was due to the fact that she made a random person on the road place the request. 

Jinhyun did not buy her bluff. "You may have had someone else place the request for you," he said shrewdly. "It's not that hard since I was able to do the same today." 

Damn it! Cherry wanted to raise her cane and blast him into oblivion. But the powers she had restricted her from doing so. Otherwise, she will remain an old woman forever. 

But she must keep this guy quiet. If he leaks her secret, then living in this country will become impossible for her. Furthermore, she must complete her final task of uniting him with that Yoona. 

Jinhyun read her dilemma. "Don't worry," he assured her. "I won't reveal your secret. There must be a reason why you ended up like this. If there's any way I can help-" 

Cherry let out a laugh. She laughed at him mockingly, confusing him even more. 

"H-help?" she hiccuped. "From you?" 

She let out another burst of laughter. It was ironic that the man in front of her wanted to 'help'. 

"I'd rather get stabbed by a million swords," she smirked. "If you really want to help." 

She took a step towards him. Even though she was a few inches shorter than him, she easily overpowered him. "Accept the fate written for you," she dared him. 

Jinhyun was speechless. Accept his fate? 

"Set me free," she breathed. This time, it was not an order. Hidden behind her authoritative tone, was an earnest request. 

She was about to leave when he spoke up. "All I really wanted," he said. "Was to have a cup of coffee with you."

A sad smile formed on his lips. "Was that really too much to ask?" he asked quietly. 

Cherry turned around. There were no emotions on her face. "Yes," she said. "It's an impossible task." 

With that, she exited the cabinet, leaving him there. Alone. 

…. 

*Six Months Later*

Jinhyun was beaming proudly. "Isn't it great, Manager Shin?" he exclaimed as he looked around their new building. 

After six months of hard work, they have finally managed to open their own agency. Jinhyun had worked night and day to convince his old contacts in the industry to invest in his business. 

It was hard at first, but thanks to Jinhyun's viral music videos and a strong marketing campaign by his team, they won over influential investors and managed to inaugurate Jinhyun's very own self managed media agency, Rouge Culture. 

They were standing inside a five storey building which was their main office. He felt ecstatic as he scanned the training room. Thanks to the large investments, they got a fairly large building at the heart of Seoul. It was strategically located in the midst of a pathway to a number of public schools and the business hub of the city. This will enable them to get a wide range of trainees and also bring in potential business opportunities. 

Sekjong patted him on the back. "I can't believe you did it!" he said proudly. He had thought that it was an impossible feat but Jinhyun always had the knack to identify opportunities at times when no one else could. 

"When are we shortlisting the trainees?" he asked. 

Jinhyun sighed. "They received over ten thousand applications for their traineeship program but will be able to shortlist only a hundred of them. 

"This will be tough," he sighed. "They're all so good!" 

"But we'll have to hold a public audition," Sekjong frowned. "The deal has been made with KSS channel. They'll air our show during prime time." 

It was the talk of the town already. The first reality show of Rouge which will showcase the best of the best talents. Contestants from all over Korea were eager to join his agency and learn under the Idol King. 

Jinhyun may be a happy to go lucky person but when it came to work, he was very strict. Even when he was with EXOTIC, he ensured the trainees at their agency never received preferential treatment. He was strict yet kind to them, teaching them everything he could. His methods were fair and impartial. Many famous idols referred to him as their mentor and some of them voluntarily agreed to sign up with his agency. 

His months of hard work had paid off. Now it was time to start the show.