The street was quiet with the exception of a few elderly passersby as they started their day. There weren't many cars either. A sign that maybe the majority of the residents here were as old as the people she'd seen before, as most elderly use public transportation. Juna never knew there could be such a place in Seoul. Although the quiet was usually kind to her nerves, there was something slightly eerie about the emptiness. Not to mention the address that Myung Hee sent her.
The outsider checked her phone again and looked back at a gate reflecting the same address. Some properties had walls, some didn't. This property had one with an odd, outdated style. Bland colors and tacky textures. There were trees that peaked over the walls, their vines growing down to the side walk. There was a slight view of a wavy rooftop that looked to belong to a traditional styled home. The place didn't seem to be well looked after—what with the undisciplined greenery.
"Is this a joke?" She scoffed. "How can this be it?"
For a while, she stood with her hand raked through her hair. What if someone got a hold of Myung Hee's phone and told her to come to this place? A sharp breath cut through her nervous smile. You're overreacting, stupid girl. How would a random person know to call this an orientation? After taking a deep breath, she walked forward and punched in the code that was included in the message. The modern security system was a striking contradiction to the property's presentation. A green indicator light flashed. The gate opened at the sound of a beep.
Juna walked deeper into the property along a walkway of uneven stepping stones. The building was as she suspected, old—in both age and style. It seemed to resemble the shape of a 'J'. At the center of the 'J' was naught but dirt and rocks that bordered its perimeter. Patches of weeds seemed to have sprung up in random places. One section of the building turned out to be two stories. She passed an outdoor faucet that continuously dripped into an overflowing bucket, moss growing on its side. Juna's damp hands slid into her jean pockets as she hesitated in the center. Her thumb nail digging into her finger. There were two entrances but she didn't rush towards them just yet.
"Maybe I should call her first." The cautious woman began dialing.
"You can come through here."
Juna's head whipped back up to the sound of her godmother's voice. A sigh of relief. She went over to greet her, removed her shoes and followed her in. When she did, she could barely believe she was in the same building she'd seen from outside. "Wow...it's..."
"Very different from the outside?" Myung Hee kept a reserved demeanor, which was unusual for Juna. The middle aged woman was always a perfect mix of a bubbly friend and a mother. There had to be a reason. "I had the inside renovated after I bought it."
"You live here?" Juna asked, observing the minimal but modern and spacious interior. Myung Hee nodded. "It was so easy to suspect it was abandoned."
"It was important to keep the exterior as it was so as to avoid attention." She gestured for her to sit down. Three elegant gray sofas formed a 'U' in the living room area. The two women sat across from each other. A glass coffee table at both their knees. "You see, the band members, though they have their own living situations, sometimes run into complications that call for a plan B location. This house is that location. You'll be its caretaker until I come back. Will making a stop here every now and again be a problem? Do you have a car?"
Juna shook her head. Their apartment building only allowed them one stall. Min Joo was the first one to have a car. Her best friend offered to take her to work all the time, but Juna didn't want to be a burden. So she took the bus most of the time.
"Hmm. You can use my car then." Juna wanted to refuse but before she had a chance to decline, "It's your job to be as thorough and reliable as possible. I recommended you because I believe you have those qualities. If I hear you're lacking because you missed a bus, that will reflect poorly on me. You'll use my car." She repeated firmly. The younger woman reluctantly submitted. "Now, on to your main responsibilities. I prepared a packet for you to study."
Myung Hee reached for her black purse and pulled out a binder with colorful tabs sticking out from the side. She slid it across the glass table toward Juna. "It contains company policies for both staff and artists. Also included is basic information about each member—names, age, performance roles, various preferences and special needs, etc. Their work schedule. I even added a page about the staff you'll be working with as well as alternative routes between headquarters and here just in case you'll need it."
Juna had no time to respond. One part of her mind tried to memorize everything Myung Hee was saying while skimming through the binder of information. This job is temporary. Isn't this too much? This work schedule covers the entire month. I'm not doing this for a month, am I? And did she say study? She never thought K-Pop idols would ever become her topic of study.
Myung Hee took several minutes explaining what her responsibilities will be, using examples and personal stories. Her role often varied between different work projects. Juna wondered if something caused her godmother to adopt this professional persona suddenly or if she really was this serious about her job and these idols.
She concluded her last thoughts about the binder. "Got it?"
"I think so yes."
"Good, because there's something else."
"Something else?" Juna looked shocked. How could there be more?
The older woman reached into her purse again and fetched a small book. This one also had colorful tabs protruding from the sides. But this wasn't an official looking business binder. Instead, it looked like a journal. Myung Hee held it like one would hold a fragile, precious gem.
"You're undoubtedly going to have questions along the way." Said her godmother. Juna couldn't help thinking that was an understatement. "For this job, there needs to be a level of trust between you and the band members. Since you're new, the boys may not ask too much of you and will try to do things themselves. This is not what we want as they have very busy schedules. I'm hoping this book will help you to understand them better, improve your approach, and help them to trust you to assist them." She reached over in offering the book with both hands.
Juna reached for it but Myung Hee's grip hadn't relaxed yet. She looked inquisitively at her godmother, whose eyes fixated on hers.
"Please understand, Juna, that this book contains a lot of personal information. If it weren't you taking my place, I wouldn't trust this with anyone else. You are not to travel with it. It must stay in a safe place to be referred to when you have questions. Only when you have questions. It's not a reading book for your entertainment. Do you understand?"
"I understand." She nodded. Myung Hee released the book with a lingering look of goodbye. Juna bowed with thanks, seeing how much faith she must have in her for turning over such an important book.
The older woman let out a heavy sigh, her face suddenly refreshed with optimism.
"Now. Why don't we grab some lunch?" She smiled.
It was Juna's hope that she could work in the topic of Myung Hee's family during the car ride. That maybe she might find out exactly why she needed to go away. However, her godmother insisted she begin studying and memorizing everyone's names and faces right away. So far she was successful in memorizing the manager, the choreographer, the head camera director, and BTS's stage names. Their faces, on the other hand, would take a little more time to pair correctly with those names.
Afterall, J-Hope looked more like his name would be Suga and she kept getting V and Jungkook mixed up. The only members that were easy to memorize were RM and Jin.
This is already tiring, she thought. And to think I still have their given names to memorize.
She was so invested that she hadn't noticed they had parked until Myung Hee turned the car off. Juna unbuckled herself but the woman next to her held up her hand. "It's okay. You stay here. It won't take long." As she walked off into the building, Juna wondered why she hadn't even asked what she wanted.
"I'll just keep studying then."
It hadn't even been five minutes when the restless Juna spotted her godmother strutting back to the car with an enormous box of packages. Her eyes widened and her mouth struggled to find words. How much food did she get? Juna climbed toward the back seat enough to open the door for her. "Thank you!" Myung Hee sang. As she walked around to her own door, Juna peeked into the packages. She could've sworn she saw a stack of tteokbokki bentos. Another package was labeled dumplings and there were multiple styrofoam bowls probably filled to the brim with delicious noodles.
"Why so much food?" Her watering mouth asked when Myung Hee started the car again.
"We're going to have lunch at work with the rest of the team." She beamed. Juna felt a twist in her stomach. "Everyone knows it's just an orientation for you, so you can just stand back and observe. My job was just to supply the boys with lunch but seeing as I won't be around for a bit, I also brought food for the staff."
"So right now we're on our way to..." Juna didn't even want to finish that sentence. She figured an orientation would consist of meeting her workmates but somehow it still felt like an foreboding disaster approaching. "Wait, b-but I'm not properly dressed to go to work."
Myung Hee chuckled. "Look at how I'm dressed. This job will consist of moving around a lot. It's preferred that we're dressed in an attire we can be active in. So if you're thinking of wearing your business wear, don't. Only wear formal attire to official meetings and/or guest performances."
Juna's big eyes stared straight ahead. Her sweaty hands squeezed together until they were white as snow. Ugh, why am I losing my wits? I knew this part would come eventually. Relax. Be as tough as nails. She took a deep breath. "Well at least you're not wearing flannel," she mumbled.