Paper Dolls

Chapter 35

I study Jungseok's tall build as he stands next to Mr Wan in nothing but a leather jacket and black jeans that hang by his hips. His toned torso is bare and there are tattoos scattered over his tanned skin. 

He has piercings that cover most of his left ear, while his right remains bare safe for one small silver ring. His face is all angles and edges , eyes slanted as he smiles flirtatiously at the camera. I remember all the girls who wanted to appear edgy in school always fussed over him when he first burst on to the scene. 

Now that I think about it, he has that bad boy look pinned down perfectly. The type girls went crazy for and parents hated. 

He definitely wasn't main stream popular like the other Kpop Idols but he's established himself as a rapper and producer, making him a rather prominent figure in the industry. And then there are all those scandals with Loona and drugs. 

"Controversial?" I dig and I try to ignore the way Binna is studying me, like she knows I'm asking these questions for a reason. 

"Don't tell me you don't know about the drug bust in Loiter last year. Aren't you girls the first to read all the gossip sites?" 

Jungseok's handsome face in the picture stares right back at me and then I remember the exploding drug scandal that took over the news for weeks. Loiter was a famous bar, known to be frequented by high profile individuals who want to let loose. Not everyone is allowed in and the VIP section remains a secret even to the media. 

That was until a drug bust occurred there last year and Jungseok was caught at the scene of the crime. There were articles about sex trafficking, etc but no one was charged and the news died down after a few months. 

Loiter had to close for thorough inspection but if I'm not mistaken it relocated. I make a mental note to tell Hyeon about this. 

"Mr Wan you have a picture with Dalia!" Kim gushes like the fan girl  she is and soon all of us are looking at the picture of her. 

I study her missing right hand, hidden from the camera's prying eyes and then the men next to her. Is she holding one of theirs? I must be staring so hard, my eyes start to glaze over. 

Even Mr Wan's face is reminiscent. He looks at her longingly and it just fills me with discomfort. Thankfully, he collects himself and looks away. 

"Of course. As you can see I have worked with many celebrities. I hope you girls will make it this big one day and then I'll have another thing to boast about then. Now come on back to work." He claps his hands to gain our attention. 

"Aww thank you, Mr Wan. That would be the dream." Liza beams at him but his attention is focused solely on Binna, like it is the first time he has noticed her here. 

"What song would you like to practice?" He asks her.

"Oh, I'm not singing for the showcase. Just came here to see what it is like." Binna smiles at him in that engaging way of hers and to my surprise Mr Wan is speechless.  

"What is your role in the group?" He finally asks after a long pause, heading for his chair by the piano. He gestures for her to follow and she obliges. 

"Main dancer." 

The next few seconds go unnoticed by the girls but I see Mr Wan sizing Binna up. He stares at her long slender legs and then his eyes traverse her stomach, then her chest before finally settling on her face. 

It is a look that I've seen before. The one he gave me before leaning in for a kiss and the look he had on his face when he stared at Dalia's picture. A wave of unease washes over me and I quickly interrupt. 

"Shall I go through my line?" 

Mr Wan's eyebrows bunch together as a flash of annoyance flickers across his face. He doesn't look so interested in me anymore which should be a good thing but as I go through the song, I notice him sneak a look Binna's way every few seconds. 

She bobs her head to my rap verse, completely oblivious to this exchange and I wish I could hide her somewhere he can't see. 

"You keep skipping this beat. You did that on stage as well," He suddenly snaps at me, all previous affection gone like the wind. 

I nod and try again and again. I think I've gotten it but Mr Wan makes me go through the line about a million times even though his focus is divided. Ears on me, eyes on Binna. 

It's like I've brought him a meal on a silver platter with the way he is devouring her with his gaze. 

"Okay, good Jina. You finally got it." His nimble fingers stroke the keys on his piano and then they stop. "Hope to see this on stage tomorrow." 

To my dismay he turns to Binna. "Your turn." 

She quickly straightens up like a deer caught in headlights. "But I haven't prepared anything. I'm not singing for the showcase."

"Yes, but you're training to debut as an idol, correct? And what do idols do?" 

"Sing," She answers nervously. 

Mr Wan nods and gestures for her to take my place in front of him. Binna casts me a look of alarm but I can't do much except move to the side so she can practice. 

"We'll sing Nixim," He instructs and Binna nods. This is a classical song we've been practicing since we came here and all the instructors love it. 

Binna begins and it's like the rest of the room doesn't exist. Mr Wan only stares at her as he plays the song, his fingers and foot moving in tune with her voice. If I wasn't so worried about her I would be thankful for the distraction. 

It is the perfect opportunity for me to snap a picture of Jungseok and Mr Wan. 

They go through the song twice and Binna looks at us pleadingly but it appears Mr Wan is not done with her. He asks her to run through it again. 

Kim is the one who saves the day when she announces that dance practice will commence in ten minutes. 

We pack our stuff and rush out of the room but I freeze when Mr Wan grabs Binna's wrist, pulling her back. 

I stand by the door threshold, watching this sordid exchange with a horrified expression. 

"You're tone is weak. You need more practice if you want a chance at debuting." Mr Wan all but threatens Binna through that coffee stained smile of his. "I think you have potential. I'm scheduling you in for a one on one session and will notify the board of execs of how promising you are. Make sure you are on time." 

So many threats. There's no way she can say no to that, not unless she wants to be kicked out of the company. 

No. No. No. This was not supposed to happen. I can't believe I've put her in this situation.