Starstruck [MarkDy] ✔️

Struck by the Paparazzi and Media

After the ice skating date, Mark walked Seungwan home. Unbeknownst to them, the photographer was part of the paparazzi. They sneakily followed the two to take more pictures. Mark and Seungwan waved at each other. "Go in now," he told her. "Okay. Go home safely," she replied. 

The following morning, Joohyun forcefully woke Seungwan up. "Get up, Seungwan!" she yelled. Groggily, Seungwan opened her eyes and asked, "What's going on?" Joohyun shoved her phone into her face. "Look at this article!" Seungwan widened her eyes. The article presented images of her and Mark kissing at the ice skating rink and him taking her home. 

Petrified, Seungwan checked on social media to see if there were more news. "Mark Tuan" was trending on all platforms because of the dating speculation. As if Seungwan could not be more terrified, every news outlet revealed her identity. Now, the world knew her name, face, birthday, address, job, and more. 

The girls heard voices coming from outside. Peering at the window, they saw many reporters and journalists with cameras congregating in front of their home.

"How am I supposed to get to work? I finished my vacation days." 

Joohyun thought of a solution instantly. "I'm going to pretend to be you and run away. You will run in the other direction. Make sure to wear a disguise!"

Seungwan wore a bandana to cover her head and sunglasses. Joohyun opted for a hoodie and a mask. 

"I don't think I can go home tonight, Joohyun."

"Yeah, you should sleep at your parents' place."

"Okay. Thank you for helping me, Joohyun." 

Joohyun beamed at her. Wearing the hood and mask, she faced the paparazzi. 

"Are you dating Mark Tuan?"

"Tell us your relationship with the singer!"

"How did the two of you meet?"

Joohyun sprinted down the street. The reporters and journalists ran after her. Immediately, Seungwan bolted the other way and found a taxi. She needed to hide at her company, but more paparazzi assembled outside of her workplace. Her co-workers were walking in a group, so she hid behind them. While the reporters and journalists repeated their messages to them, she darted to the building. 

Her boss asked, "Why are the paparazzi here?" 

"They're here to interrogate me about Mark Tuan."

"The singer?"

"I went on a date with him and we got caught." Seungwan pulled on her hair. "I forgot how much people pry on celebrities' lives."

"How were you able to get to work?"

"My friend pretended to be me." 

"When you leave, I'll have our security guards escort you."

"Thank you so much. I am so sorry for the commotion."

"Don't be. Ever since this morning, we've had more people book our tour guides. I guess the reason was because of you." With that, he walked away. 

Seungwan stood there in place. "Good?" she thought. To distract herself from the paparazzi, she went to her cubicle and got to work. She researched attractions in Seoul to show tourists. 

Her shift ended, and as her boss said, the security guards walked with her to the taxi. The reporters and journalists swarmed around the guards but were blocked. Seungwan arrived at her parents' home in one piece. 

"I'm home!" she announced. 

"Are you okay, Seungwan? I saw the articles," her mom responded.

"I'm fine. I was able to do my job with the help of Joohyun."

"Stay here as long as you like until things die down," her dad told her. 

"Thank you. Today has been crazy."

"All because of that man," her dad muttered. "Do you like him that much?"

"I like him a lot, Dad, but I did not anticipate this."

"We just have to wait it out. Get some rest. I'm sure he and his team are working to resolve this," her mom reassured. 

As Seungwan was getting ready for bed, Mark called her. She picked it up in a heartbeat. 

"Hey, Seungwan. I'm so sorry for calling you this late. I haven't had time to contact you."

"It's okay, Mark. I know you're busy."

"Listen, I feel terrible for getting you into this mess. I shouldn't have convinced my manager and Seungkwan to not intrude on our date. I told them that I would be careful, but I got carried away, and now your information is on the Internet. I can't believe someone photographed us! I wish I could be there and protect you."

"I had so much fun ice skating with you, so I don't regret it. Even though we could've been more careful, it would've been hard to predict that this was going to happen. This will all blow over soon, and we can return to our lives normally."

"I was worried that you wished we didn't know each other. When everyone forgets about the photos, we can meet again with my manager and Seungkwan present. But for now, we have to lie low."

"For sure. You should sleep now, Mark. Good night!"

"Sleep tight, Seungwan!"

Seungwan was wide awake in bed. Despite Mark comforting her, she still felt uneasy. Brushing her thoughts away, she closed her eyes harshly. 

Everything will be okay.