To Kiss An Idol

41 The Berating

Still trying to figure out what Jung-Hwa said, Nivritti entered the building. When she crossed the reception, she heard everyone talking about Jae-Hwa being escorted by JJ’s bodyguards. They were shocked and confused. They kept spewing out theory after theory, but Nivritti paid no heed. She placed her ID over the turnstile and walked towards the lift.

While waiting for the lift, a few people came and stood with her. Finally, when the lift arrived all entered in. Her eyes fell on their badges, a few were from the production department and a few of them were from the camera department.

Suddenly there was the continuous chiming of the phone. A woman instantly shouted in Korean, “oh, San-ssi’s daughter was escorted by June’s bodyguards.” Nivritti raised her head as soon as she heard the news. She was shocked that everyone was talking about it.

Well, not that shocked. She was aware of how the grapevine in K&Q worked. Every news spread in the K&Q building like wildfire. She still remembered what happened after Thae scolded her. She was treated by one and all as an outcast.

“Do you think he is dating her?” asked another person.

Nivritti rolled her eyes in disbelief. Why was dating life of an idol the first thought in everyone’s mind? They had no idea what happened with Jae-Hwa but could not help themselves from speculating. She wanted to set the record right but for that, she would have to tell everyone that Jung-Hwa punched a man. She worked so hard for this news to never see the light of day, she could not divulge this information under any circumstances.

The lift dinged at the 11th floor, and she got down. Her mouth fell open after seeing that the whole corridor was filled with people. No one was going to their floors, they were emptying the lift on the 11th floor. She crossed the sea of people in her corridor and turned to enter the script department. She opened the door but to her surprise, it was blocked by three large men. She recognised them as Jung-Hwa’s bodyguards.

The whole script department was chaotic. People from outside were trying to look inside and find out what was happening. She could see that no one in her department was in their seats. She took a deep breath and realised that her problem was not yet over. She had to take care of the situation once again.

She tapped over the shoulder of one bodyguard and he turned around. The moment he saw her, he stood straight with respect.

.....

“Is he okay?” he asked in Korean, hesitantly. He was not sure if she could understand Korean.

But to his relief, she fluently replied in Korean, “He is fine, he is on his way to dance practice.”

“No one recognised him?” he asked.

“No one recognised him,” she assured him.

“Thank you, ma’am,” he expressed gratitude.

“To thank me, you can help me get rid of this circus. We have to make people stop talking about this. It’s only K&Q talking about it now, imagine if the news goes outside this building,” she explained.

“You are right,” said another bodyguard. They looked at her and then at the crowd behind her. With a firm hand, they started escorting everyone out of the corridor. Within minutes, the whole corridor was empty.

She looked around her department. Everyone was huddled around Chung-Ho’s seat, but she could clearly see him. She made her way towards them. Now a faint sob was audible to her. She cautiously moved towards the sobbing.

Abruptly, Chung-Ho saw her and shouted her name, “Nivritti!” Before she could reply. His chair flew back, and Jae-Hwa threw herself in Nivritti’s arms. She was pushed slightly back but balanced her footing the very next moment. Lovingly she patted Jae-Hwa’s back and consoled her.

She looked at everyone, they were all staring at her. No one spoke. Jae-Hwa kept sobbing.

“Everyone is saying that I am having affair with June,” wailed Jae-Hwa. Nivritti looked at everyone with fire in her eyes. Her nostrils kept flaring with anger.

But she first had to console Jae-Hwa. “First, calm down! Are you alright?” she asked.

Suddenly, Jae-Hwa realised that Nivirtti too was hurt. She broke the embrace and looked at her hand. It was now, bluish-black in colour. “Me? Are you alright?”

Before she could answer a middle-aged man politely asked, “are you the girl who saved my daughter?”

“Your daughter?” Nivritti looked at the man first and then looked all around. They all were looking at her eagerly waiting for a reply. Which meant only one thing, they all knew everything.

“Jae! Jae, look at me. What did you tell them?” whispered Nivritti.

Jae-Hwa again threw her in Nivritti’s arms and replied near her ear, “that you saved me.”

“And?” Nivritti whispered again.

“And nothing.”

“Sure?” inquired Nivritti.

“Yes, nothing about you-know-who,” murmured Jae-Hwa.

Nivritti sighed with relief. “Okay.”

It was clear that she had to do some damage control. She had to protect both Jung-Hwa and Jae-Hwa. She made Jae-Hwa move her head from her shoulder. “First, stop crying and tell me who was talking about you and JJ.”

Jae-Hwa pointed at everyone present there and cried, “everyone!” Her father came and stood beside her holding her hand to calm her down. She looked at Chung-Ho who was looking at her defeated.

She closed her eyes and berated everyone, “Okay, you guys work for K&Q, she works for K&Q. we are part of a team. Sorry for saying this, but shame on you to belittle one of your own. She just had a traumatic experience and instead of showing her support and sympathy, you guys are talking nonsense. It is right that you make money by writing stories, but it does not mean that you should try making stories about someone else’s life. I am shocked and appalled to know that not only you guys are talking about her in a demeaning fashion but also you are spreading these nonsense rumours in the whole K&Q building.

“Do you have any idea how damaging it is for her and JJ? These nasty rumours can even impact Rencontre. Have any of you thought about that? Or do you just like to spread nonsensical things? This is what is wrong with this team. You don’t support your own people. This happened to me and now it is happening to her. Why don’t you ask about every detail before making up the story on your own?”

Everyone was looking at the floor with shame.

She raised her voice and commanded, “you all will immediately stop messaging your family and friends about what happened with Jae. Here she is sharing her traumatic experience and you are treating her like juicy gossip.”

The moment Nivritti finished her sentence, Chung-Ho saw red. Smoke started coming out of his ears. “You, stupid, morons, you messaged everyone?”

“People will talk if she arrives with June’s bodyguards,” a woman in her late twenties was not ready to back down.

Nivritti squinted her eyes with wrath and snapped at her, “she spends all her time with me and Mr Seong. It should mean that we three are in a relationship.”

“I... I didn’t,” the woman realised that her logic was flawed.

But Nivritti ignored her word and kept scolding her, “moreover, she came with the bodyguards, maybe she is involved with one of them, why did your stupid mind go to June? Also, if you want to know, the bodyguards came to the restaurant by themselves. They saw us in distress, and they helped us. Next time, before making stories up in your mind, come talk to me.”

“Where were you? Why are you late?” another man tried to poke holes in her cover story.

But Nivritti was ready. “For your kind information, I was giving a piece of my mind to the manager of the restaurant. We were harassed, bullied in his place of work and no one helped us until the bodyguards arrived. We didn’t even know that they were JJ’s bodyguards. I realised after I arrived in this building where everyone was talking about it. Today I realised what a storm in a tea cup is.”

“Nivritti, your hand,” shouted Chung-Ho. Everyone lowered their eyes to look at her hand.

“Right! This is what happened to us in the restaurant.” She raised her hand and showed it to everyone. Everyone was now quiet and realised that they exaggerated an insignificant matter. But Nivritti was still angry, “I came here to sit in peace, but my department is full of toxic people. Instead of showing concern, they are doing what they are best at, throwing mud. We should stand together but I don’t think that is ever going to happen.” The disappointment was all over her face.

After she was done, Chung-Ho started berating everyone, “she is right. I am so disappointed in all of you. She is crying and telling all of you what happened to her and the first thing you do is message your people. How insensitive could you be? Everyone back to their work. If I hear any phone chime or ring, I will throw it out of the window. No one will talk about it ever if you cannot talk about it sympathetically. Am I clear?”

Everyone just nodded and went back to their seats. Nivritti was extremely angry at everyone. All they knew was how to gossip and bully others. Only a few were showing genuine concern for Jae on their face, others had shame written all over their faces.

Jae’s father again approached Nivritti and said, “thank you again for protecting my daughter.”

“Mr San, you don’t have to say it. Just make sure your department stops talking about your daughter,” replied Nivritti and bowed down to him.

“That I will do.” He was too overwhelmed with gratitude. So, he grabbed Nivritti by her shoulder and pulled her into a bear hug.