In Between the Lines | Completed

Chapter Three | First Impressions

I sigh, open the door, and enter the office, hoping for a successful first day at work.

Lee Young-min

"Isn't that Lee Young-min?" Whispers and giggles of excitement come from the group of women standing in the hallway as I walk down the hallway, ready to read my first scenes as 'Mr. Tyrant' as Bu Seok had playfully dubbed my character before the translated names had been announced.

"He's handsome."

"Wow, he's got such a nice face."

"He's SO tall!"

I keep my face neutral, the compliments pricking my ears and a smile at the edge of my mouth cueing my embarrassment.

"Lee Young-min, they're waiting for you on the stage." I look up and see Du Shin-Il staring at me with a handful of coffees on a tray. He hands me one and nods towards the reading.

"Thanks, I'm gonna grab a water bottle from the dressing rooms and then I'll meet you there."

Shin-Il nods before taking the remaining coffees with him and entering the stage for the read through.

He seems even more restrained than normal. Guess his new boss is giving him a hard time after all.

I shake off my thoughts before entering the empty office next to the stage where I know there's a mini fridge full of bottled water. I walk into the quiet room and look at the surprising surroundings.

Gone was the plain aesthetic of the dressing room and in its place was a bright and vibrant room. A wall that used to be full of generic mirrors, lights, and make-up supplies was now sporting wallpaper with quotes I recognized from 'Behind the Scenes' written out in English and Korean. A wooden desk and comfortable chair sat in front of the wall, acting as a workstation and showed the new purpose of the formerly sterile room. An overstuffed linen couch with soft throw blankets and cutesy pillows sat opposite the desk for guests to sit at. A white refrigerator is next to the desk and shows off the multitude of drinks through the glass door. Even new light fixtures had been added to the space to make it appear as more of a home office than a dungeon in a filming studio.

The remaining walls were coated in a light purple color, accents of pinks and baby blue dotting the room in the décor. Mock-ups of character fan art were posted on the walls making the characters come to life in the illustrations. Stacks of merchandise waiting for approval were sitting neatly folded on a leather armchair.

It was like a scene from the book had been brought to life to welcome the characters off the pages and into the real world.

"Whoa..." I blink, looking at the room in shock. I go to the refrigerator and pull out a bottle of water and examine the room with interest. "This is new."

The turn of a handle alerts me to company and I turn to the entry, expecting to see someone gathering me for the reading, but instead the side door to the bathroom opens next to me and a woman exits, running into me, the coffee in my hand spilling precariously from my hand and onto her white flowing blouse.

"Ahh!" she shrieks, the hot coffee hitting her skin and my face blanches in shock. I rush into the bathroom she was leaving and grab paper towels, ushering her to sit down on the couch as I try and assist in getting the coffee off her.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry, I didn't see you coming in from the bathroom, I thought someone was coming from the entrance, so I backed—"

The woman looks at me, confusion in her gaze as I continue to ramble on. My hands shake as I wipe her blouse and I am surprised as she bats my hands away, snagging the paper towels from me. I look at her and begin to blush as I realize the predicament I had placed myself in.