The Wise Monkey's POV:
"Yo, I'm famous!" the words come out from the phone in English, the first thing Joshua says as Soojin picks up the call.
"Oh my Gad! Whot!" Soojin tries to keep up the enthusiasm in her voice. A laugh is what she receives from the other line at her attempt at English.
"Heyy, don't laugh et me mayhn," she says but the laugh doesn't stop until she audibly huffs into the phone.
"Sorry, sorry," Joshua switches back to Korean. "I did not realize that I wasn't speaking in Korean but you took me off-guard with your reply." He chuckles.
"Stop laughing at my English, I know I have an accent but that's how everyone here speaks, it's not so new," Soojin sourly says.
"I know that, but you sounded so cute. Your grammar sounds fine, you probably are good at the language, I think now I have someone to talk to before I forget my English. What do you say, Ms Soojin Ahn?"
"Why did you call? You sounded very excited."
"Oh yeah! How did you not know this? We're famous now!"
"What?"
"Fans of your friends posted photos of you and me with your friends; when they visited my restaurant and we ate with them, remember? So we are publicly 'friends' of Ateez amongst the fans now, I'm more famous because somehow they found out I'm the restauranteur and weirdly, I'm ashamed to say, these girls are what we call in English 'simping' over me."
Soojin lets out a muffled chortle. It's a bit of a situation and it's scary but the last part sure did get her. "This is not good. Our photos and identity has been publicized, I hate to receive unwanted attention, but at least for now, they're putting you more in the limelight because of your status and looks, this is how fandoms are like, welcome to this world, oppa."
"I find the simping weird but the whole situation is nothing I can't handle. And who knows, maybe I can expect more people to visit my restaurant because of this."
"Ahh, you're a slave of capitalism."
"I'm more worried for you. I mean, I don't know fandoms and stuff like you do but I know that these fans wouldn't mind seeing a guy friend of their idol as much as a female friend. If I wasn't there and you were seen meeting them alone I don't know how different the type of attention would have been. You gotta watch out."
"I know," Soojin sighs. "I'll be careful. Now lemme go check this on the internet. I wanna see it myself."
"Okay, but don't waste too much on it, go do preparations. And if you want moral support call me anytime before you reach there. Do well on the programme! Fighting!"
"Oppa, you spent the last night giving all the moral support you could. And I'm fine, I didn't need it anyway. I'll only come back winning, don't worry."
"That's the spirit!" he says. "But your confidence is intimidating, I'd be sweating if I was your opponent."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Bye." She hangs up and spends the next half an hour frowning as she scrolls through the phone and stressing out both because of the fiasco on the internet and the nagging in her brain that tells her she should be worrying about her programme instead.
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The 'programme' is something that's important and special for Soojin. It was last week when she received a call from one of the biggest broadcasting channels in the nation that kept her, and the rest of the family, jumping and screaming in excitement. Ahn's Restaurant had been selected for the cooking competition amongst the chefs of restaurants in the nation that applied; Three benefits would come out of it, a promotion opportunity, a chance to show your face on the television and, lastly, prize money if you win. Of course, this was big. But it's even bigger for Soojin, she gets to compete doing what she's passionate about, she gets to show it off, she isn't like the other competitors who are probably just doing their jobs as the chefs for the restauranteurs. She's going because she desperately wants to cook on television; the kind, old cook of her restaurant was happy to have her represent them in it.
And that competition is scheduled today, more like the first round of it is. And is Soojin more nervous to appear in front of the live television than the whole process of the competition itself? Yes, and she's sweating. I'm kinda scared for this girl. And is something reassuring her that she shouldn't be such? No. She's going to be on a live broadcast in a few and she knows for sure that people are going to watch it. There's no person that Sooyoung knows and didn't tell to watch all the episodes of the show to catch her sister on it(and Sooyoung knows a lot of people). And there's no person her mother left out to tell as well. And then there are her own friends, Joshua who will be religiously watching, and Ateez who apologized a thousand times to her just as she disclosed the news because they knew they were gonna be busy. They knew they probably couldn't catch the show, and it was confirmed when the manager disclosed the schedule for the day in the morning; They can't watch it live. Or so they thought.
Oh, what is the possibility that the one who was frowning not being able to catch a show live on television is able to witness it live live? If I was human I'd say it's rarest of rare but my team up there seems to be doing their work right.
"Oh," Yunho suddenly gasps distractedly looking away from the camera filming him. He and the rest are on the premises of the same channel's grand office building along with the host of their current interview/creative-talk-show and camera directors.
The rest of the group and the host turns in the direction Yunho's looking at.
"Oh, that's..." San begins but quietens down, his momentary shock subsides when he remembers that Soojin did inform them about the time and date of her competition. What the host sees is a random girl wearing a chest number running furiously to the studio hall where the cooking show was to be broadcasted.
"Oh, she looks like a contestant for this year's Top Taste. Do you know her?" the host asks and the cameras are already on the silhouette of Soojin who just disappears behind the door.
"The wait is finally over! Welcome to the long-awaited arrival of Korea's favourite cook-off show, Top Taste Season 5 powdered by..." the muffled but loud voice of programme introduction is heard from the studio at the end of the hall.
Wooyoung laughs loudly. "Yes, that's our friend, she told us about this show. She's late and it's not surprising."
By now Hongjoong could predict the upcoming. The camera already captured Soojin and then Wooyoung's statement, this made for an interesting new discovery about Ateez, a friend has been disclosed and now it's not difficult for the host to know her name. Hongjoong knew he owed a big apology to their friend.
"Ahh then let's go cheer your friend, she's already late and probably nervous because of it. I'm curious about the competition too, I watch all the seasons and episodes of Top Taste," the host says and they all walk to the studio. The show seems to have begun, the competitors are already seen introducing themselves.
They all slowly make their way to stand a respectable distance behind the camera people broadcasting the show. Wooyoung waves his hand at Soojin and the girl stiffens visibly.
"Wooyoung-ssi, don't distract her, she's about to introduce her," the host speaks in ASMR in respect to the surrounding's limit and conduct.
"Ahh, sorry sorry," he whispers back, everything each of the nine does, Ateez or the host, captured in their interview show's cameras surrounding them.
One of the zoom-in cameras of Top Taste's collection of set-up pans to Soojin when it's her time. "Hello everyone," she says. "I'm Ahn Soojin representing Ahn's Restaurant in Seoul. I'm passionate about cooking and serving, I'm co-owner of Ahn's Restaurant along with my mother, so I work there even though I'm not the main cook, and I'm also a university student. I hope to do my best today." She nods to conclude and the camera moves to the next contestant.
"That's the friend of Ateez, everyone," the MC of the talk show whispers to the camera. "Wishing her the luck in my mind, and you too..." she asks the boys.
"Yeah, fighting, our friend!" Yunho softly speaks into his speaker in ASMR.
"Okay then, let's go and do our thing, we can't be a bother in this studio much longer. Unfortunately, the cooking won't start until sometime later, I'll catch the rerun later. Come on," she walks and Ateez and the cameras follow out of the studio with her.
Hongjoong's thankful that it was over fast, unlike the cooking competition their interview show won't be aired until the end of the week so there was time to ease Soojin into it. Or so he thought.
Back at the safety and privacy of their individual confines, Joshua and Sooyoung each are amused or gasping as they see the 3-second clip of Ateez as they cheer on the live screen subtitled how the boy group are supporting their contestant friend in Top Taste's studio.
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It has been a long day for everyone, including myself. You think it's an easy job to follow around someone the whole day? You take stress when they take stress, you end up tiring yourself out when they're tiring themselves out in work(although in my case I experience no physical exertion). It was strenuous to go through the thrill of how everything will turn out in the end, I watched Soojin practising the dish at home multiple times but even with my 4k visual knowledge, I couldn't predict if her food would turn out good when inside that studio surrounded by cameras. Soojin was under the pressure of the competition a few hours earlier, and so was I.
And in the end, Soojin placed third amongst the fifteen contestants who represented their restaurants. Worry not, it was just the first round.
She decided to stay at home until dinner hours at the restaurant begins, she deserved that much after the hard work today and everyone agreed. And I thought it was gonna be a peaceful few hours off work for her and me, but no, this is Soojin I'm talking about.
She lays on her bed, clutching her stomach in one hand because of the mild pain of the monthlies and her phone on the other. And what's she doing? Contemplating her whole life and drowning in self-loathing as she painfully watches the rerun of the show, scrutinizing and crying pathetically at all the awkward and stupid things(she thinks) she did on camera. And of course, the fact that Ateez's presence to support her was disclosed on television stressed her out even more. I'm thankful she didn't resort to investigate Twitter yet. All she did was playing the rerun and checking messages from the boys(Hongjoong) apologizing shortly and something along the lines of how they're busy and will show up to apologize and celebrate in person. She was confused by the message, so as always, she ignored it.
And she's still going at the cringing over herself. But you know what, I refuse to pay attention to her. And even though I end up losing all the energy at the end of the summoning ordeal, I still have time till it ends, till he's dismissed. Yeah, after he takes over and till he leaves, I'm just like a subconscious that rests. I have peace during that interval and right now I aspire for that peace. I'm sure you want a change from seeing the pathetic story of Soojin's boring present too. Technically her past is more pathetic and gruesome but whatever.
He's taking charge in...
3!
2!
And 1!
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Soojin sat on a lone curved marble bench with legs of delicately carved details on it. She was in a section of the vast and detailed garden in the backyard of the palace. It wasn't one of the fancy and exclusive parts of the garden where the royals strolled or entertained guests of similar status, rather a place the commoners seemed to take a rest or indulge in gossip stops a lot. And, yes, they weren't forbidden to be in there, as long as they completed their tasks on time and were really free, at least.
Soojin spent the morning cleaning, and also throughout the afternoon. It was one of those days that called for the deep cleaning of the many locked and unentertained guest rooms in the many untouched blocks of the grandiose palace. Needless to say, she was wearied; her back ached.
She wondered when she could meet her lover again. These days he was busy. Not that they could manage to meet often anyway. He was a prince. And she was just a maid who worked in the chamber of the princesses. They were destined to be always buildings apart, physically. And miles apart by the validity of status.
A kiss aggressively landed on her cheek, making her jostle in her seat. She turned her face knowing exactly who it could be, and she was right. It was her very loud brother. Well again, loud in his own way. His excited, jumpy(in a good, highly animated way) personality and the way he still uses his vocal cords to produce voices(yes, audible voices; too high in volume actually) to convey emotions demanded the adjective loud.
The young man was very affectionate physically. And sometimes Soojin cursed him for that. His innocent kisses of affection might be misunderstood by people who wouldn't know of their relationship. And the unthinkable things that could be assumed by those who do know exactly what they are(someone who were not related by blood) must be avoided too.
Yes, her dear brother that she loved so much wasn't her blood kin. Soojin had been young when she lost her parents, too young to remember their faces. The lone orphan had fortunately been fostered by the kind neighbours, the Jeong family. Soojin grew attached to the son of the Jeongs that her young mind considered her own brother of the same age, and even though she wouldn't call his parents father and mother as the boy did, she considered them such in her heart. The poor Jeong family only kept her as a foster child initially, they had thought they'd lack the finance to keep the girl as theirs and permanent. But they had been were surprised to see someone of their son's age and maturity behaving properly and kind to him. The children had grown very attached before the adults knew and Soojin seemed to be the only child of her age who could understand the boy. When the mature young, pre-teen girl had promised she would fend for herself and perhaps even bring money to the house if she could be blessed enough, that that she'd only needed a place at their home and in their heart, the Jeongs decided to legally adopt her. And from that day onwards, she had proudly been able to call them her father and mother, who were unfortunately no more. The only family Soojin now had was her brother and their cousin.
Soojin dragged herself to make room for her brother to sit. "How was work?" she asked him, but the other was fondly engaged in tracing out a small something from his pocket.
"What is it, brother?" she asked him.
'Work was just like any other day,' he signed with his hands. 'Mine's never that hard. Yours is, so I should ask you. You look extra tired today. I heard it was cleaning day so I anticipated it already.'
"You are right," she replied.
'So I brought you your favourite snack from the kitchen. Eat up.' He placed the snack he brought in her palm and signed for her to start eating.
"Wooyoung..."
'No, I didn't steal it. This is what I made myself, that's not stealing.'
Jeong Wooyoung worked in the royal kitchen as one of the assistants to the royal chef. When his only living family left their house to work and accommodate in the royal palace, he decided it was time for him to be responsible for once. Soojin had always been the mature one in the household, Wooyoung would see her working to sustain herself since she was young, but she would never complain, even when she saw Wooyoung playing with their cousin Yunho when she was working and sweating. As she grew older, she bloomed more in that trait, she'd bring the money for the parents' medicine, which Wooyoung was always grateful for but never contributed.
Before their parents took their last breath, they told them to always look out and care for each other, that the siblings must always be together. When Soojin was about to leave for the palace with the promise that even though she'd be physically apart, she'd still stay with Wooyoung in her heart, and that that what she would earn would be his as well, both his and hers. But Wooyoung had taken her hand in his and walked with her to the palace, not to see her off but to stay with her. And that day, Wooyoung, for the first time in his life, as a man with a disability, could finally secure himself a job. He had finally been capable of being an equal to his sister, and he could ensure staying in the same secure premises as her.
"No, but you used ingredients from the kitchen to make this. Now, do you have personal liberty to do that, brother?"
'I made this in the servant's kitchen. I have personal liberty there as long as I don't use fancy ingredients. Now eat up! What do you know about the kitchen area anyway?' He nudged her.
"Fine!" she huffed and took a bite, eyes not leaving him because he was still communicating with his hands.
'Of course, even if it was stolen, what's done is done. Now only that's left is for it to be eaten.'
She gave Wooyoung a look.
'I DID NOT STEAL IT. STOP SUSPECTING ME!'
She quietly resumed eating, enjoying the silence with her brother. They did not get to meet often. Soojin was housed in an entirely different building than him. He stayed in the regular servants quarters, and Soojin and those maids who directly worked for the princesses were kept nearby to them. Following around the royalty and tending to them was a minimal job unless you're the one chosen personal assistant who always stuck by them. So here and there, Soojin and others in the same position as hers were called to do chores as well. After all, they were paid a superior wage than the regular cleaning maids; they had to make up for it.
Wooyoung turned to look at her, having had enough of the silence. He did not enjoy quiescence, unlike his sister. She looked deep indulged in her thoughts, serious thoughts, he presumed. He nudged her.
'What is it?' the mute man signed.
"Wooyoung..." she trailed off, unsure of whether to say it out or not. "You like kids, don't you?"
He smiled brightly. 'Of course. I love them.'
Soojin laughed. "When I'll have a kid, you'll become an uncle, you know?" she vaguely stated.
He looked at her confused, still smiling. 'And when I'll have one, I'll be a father. We never know who'll end up being a parent first. I'll still love them the same though, my child or yours, it's still family, son or nephew, or daughter or niece.'
Wooyoung was always a kind, humble and social being. He was well with words, and he always meant each of them.
"Well if I have a child first, you'll get to be an uncle first." She just wanted to check his reaction, wasn't planning to disclose the news to Wooyoung, guiltily; not that the man couldn't keep a secret, it was just too much to take in and he was the jumpy nature.
Besides, she couldn't possibly tell her brother when she didn't even tell her lover first: the father of her baby.
'Nonsense, you don't even have a husband yet. And I don't have a wife. Neither of us is having a child in the immediate present. You might beat me to it if you get a spouse faster. How about you start seeking a suitable man first? Silly you!' He chuckled. His laugh was always contagious, innocent and child-like, just like the old times. When Wooyoung would laugh, chances were that Soojin would at least crack a smile. But it was not one of those days.
"Yes... Husband..." she muttered and looked away. Would she ever have one? She didn't know. Yet she's having a child first. She's having a child! She's unmarried. Wooyoung would be disappointed in her. Everyone would be. They would all talk about her. Unchaste, impious, characterless. And when they'll know who the father is: gold-digger.
Wooyoung nudged her. 'Are you unwell, sister?' he signed when she looked at him.
"No, I'm well now. Thanks for bringing me a snack, Wooyoung."
'Are you sure? You didn't look—'
"Today's work was tedious, and I have to go and resume with work again, my time is up," she stood up from the bench. "I was just sad thinking about it." She chuckled.
The brother nodded subtly and got up himself. He gave his sister a hug and a quick pat on the back to boost her energy and before he could let go, Soojin placed a haste kiss on his cheek.
His eyes widened, but a smile adorned his face nonetheless. 'Perhaps, I was wrong about you feeling unwell. You seem to be in a good fervour, sister. Or maybe entirely sick to have done that for the first time in very long.'
"Oh no," she dramatically touched her head. "I think I've got the flu that you have had since your birth. How very unfortunate!"
Wooyoung let out an offended scream, his version of a furious "You!" but an "oo" was all it ever came out as.
Chuckling and waving their goodbyes, the siblings parted away.
A/N:
Sry 4 the update delay:(
Woo in the past is so precious and super adorable:(
Just remember this okay, unfortunate things happened in these character's past life, so expect that.
Btw, I might or might not write a short story as my appreciation for 💥THE JUNG WOOYOUNG💥 after I complete this book, cos why not.