Timeline of these events: 

- Friday - They went to the elite club 

- Saturday - Hye-Jin contacts JM and he finds out about the leak 

- Sunday - Jikook date and JM meets with his mom 

- Monday - JM confronts the board. The upcoming events are also happening on Monday.

***

535.

Shin Na-Rae waltzed into the sets fashionably late, chewing her gum and balancing her iced Americano in one hand while she swished her expensive rhinestone sling bag in the other. Several heads turned in her direction and she threw a casual wave at them, ignoring their greetings as usual.

If she had paused for a moment or saw their faces, or took a moment to access her surroundings she'd have noticed the unusual buzz in the sets. Her chic outfit turned heads in her direction. There were murmurs and she brushed them aside as usual. She was known for her fashion sense and bold choices. And Na-Rae used to be the center of attention so she welcomed the murmurs with a smug smile.

Little did she know the buzz around her wasn't for her at all. There was more crowd in the sets today, which didn't make sense. The shoot was at nine but it was already eleven. Not that she bothered with the timings. Whenever she walked into the sets was the time of the shoot.

As she made her way through the sets, she was oblivious to the palpable energy that was crackling in the atmosphere. Something was different but she couldn't pinpoint it. She sipped her coffee, flaunted her rhinestone bag she purchased recently. It was her prized possession, one of the latest releases if she may add. She was sure several eyes would notice that tiny detail.

She noticed a few crew members sharing hushed whispers as soon as they saw her entering, their attention momentarily diverted from the hustle and bustle around them. Na-Rae rolled her eyes internally. They had nothing better to do. She continued to walk, unaware of the mysterious commotion.

With a flick of her hair, she strutted past the bustling staff and to the room to get her makeup done. As she entered the room, her make-up artist, Eun Ae greeted her with a surprised look on her face. "Na-Rae, what are you doing here?"

"What do you mean what I'm doing?" Na-Rae cocked an eyebrow, smacking her lips as she circled around the chair to sit. "Where's everyone?"

"You can't sit there." She was stopped before she could sit.

"Huh? Since when?" Na-Rae looked at the seat and then at the artist. "Did you forget why I'm here?"

Eun Ae looked unfazed. "No, but the shoot is almost over. So I'm asking you again. Why are you here? There's no other schedule I'm unaware of."

Na-Rae looked flabbergasted for a moment. "You're fucking with me." She hopped on the chair. "Don't waste my time. Get me ready soon. I have other plans after the shoot."

But Eun Ae didn't move. "This is not a prank. I'm honestly puzzled since I was informed last night that you will no longer represent Laneige."

"What?" Na-Rae paused. "What do you mean I'll not represent Laneige?"

Eun Ae frowned. "That's something you should be discussing with your manager."

Na-Rae clenched her jaw. That stupid manager. She fired him two days ago and was yet to hire another one. "Whatever. Where's the director?"

"At the sets."

Na-Rae stood and stormed to the sets. Did her manager screw up? Impossible. She had already confiscated his phone and laptop. There was no way he could have done something. Besides, this was already added to her schedule.

She also noticed the banners and backdrops all changed to an unisex product she didn't know they had. What's going on? Maybe this was a different campaign. But then it registered in her mind that all three sets promoted different products and the first set was the one she was going to shoot for today. But the staff was already removing the props from that set.

As she approached the set, she halted for a moment because this was huge and looked nothing like the concept she was shown. In fact, there were three sets in total instead of just one. Na-Rae scoffed.

They were going to pay her triple the charge for including more sets without consulting her. It was more time consuming and she didn't sign up for that. She stormed to the third set where the hustle and bustle was happening only to freeze when she noticed the shoot was already happening.

Her eyes widened when she noticed Kim Taehyung standing in the midst of all, shining like the brightest star. She stopped one of the production staff, grabbing him by his elbow and pulling him back. "What is he doing here?" she hissed.

"Oh, Mr. Kim is the new brand ambassador for Laneige," the beta informed her.

"What? When the fuck did he come here?"

The beta glanced behind him at the shoot. "He arrived at six-thirty and we're almost done with the shoot."

Na-Rae clenched her jaw tight. "What about my shoot? Where's my set and costumes?"

The production staff blinked. "I do not know that ma'am." He flipped through the papers he carried with him. "I've only been informed about Mr. Kim."

She let him go and he scurried away with a bow. Na-Rae gritted her teeth and squared her jaw, schooling her composure. She didn't know what was going on here. Maybe she walked into a different shoot or got the date wrong altogether.

But the sight of the busy director told her something else. With a controlled rage, she approached him. "Hello, Han-ssi," she greeted. "Looks like the shoot is a blast."

Director Han straightened, regarding her with a puzzled look. "Ms. Shin, what are you doing here?"

"I should be the one asking you that," she gritted out. "I was supposed to be the one shooting here. Not him."

Director Han signaled at his assistant to take over and pulled her aside. "Did you not receive the correspondence from the company?" he asked with genuine confusion. "You're no longer the ambassador of Laneige."

"Why?" she growled. Anger surged within her. How could they replace her without a word of warning?

"That's something you should ask the higher ups." He shrugged. "I'm not the one who chooses the models here. As far as I'm aware, the company wanted a fresh face to represent their products."

"So who's the new ambassador? Him?" she asked. "Since when did he start representing brands such as this? The last time I checked, he doesn't do cosmetics brands."

"Since you started snooping around other's business," came a voice from behind her. Na-Rae whipped around to see Taehyung walking toward her with swag in his steps.

"This is my shoot," she hissed. "What is he doing in my campaign?"

"Not anymore." He grinned. "The Chairman and the board think my brand reputation is far more superior to yours. They didn't even bat an eye when I volunteered to clear my schedule specifically for them."

What the hell?!

A mixture of disbelief and fury filled her. She tried to comprehend what he just told her and wondered how that was even possible. As far as she was concerned, she had fulfilled every requirement.

"What?" Her eyes widened. "You did this?"

Her hands clenched into fists at her sides and her nails dug into her palms. Her scent was in turmoil despite her attempts to rein in her raging emotions.

Taehyung smirked, clearly relishing her distress. "You're too slow to catch on. Don't you have a habit of checking your emails? I check them every day. You know you should make that a habit if you wish to avoid uncomfortable situations such as this. If I were you, I would have avoided the shoot." His words cut through the tension like a knife. "You're not needed here anymore."

"Who are you to tell me that?"

Furious was an understatement, but his smirk only widened.

"The decision has been made. There's nothing you can do anymore. Maybe try contacting your management," he said.

Na-Rae whipped her phone out, logging into her email as fast as she could and there were several emails. Most of them were from the brands she represented and there was one from her company too, requesting for an urgent meeting. She then scrolled through all the texts she received and remembered the calls she missed since last night.

Na-Rae never bothered to call them back because if it was so urgent they could just send someone to meet her. She was a diva and didn't care for such things. Looks like that was a mistake on her part because as she read through each email, her face changed.

Realization dawned a bit too late and it hit her hard. The modeling industry was competitive but realistically speaking, Taehyung was way ahead of her in this game. There was no way someone like him would stoop low to sign for brand deals such as this. Taehyung didn't do a lot of things out of principle and one was this.

She was at loss of words, her head swimming with several emotions. It left her reeling, putting her at the receiving end of the cutthroat industry she struggled to thrive in.

"Jimin doesn't forgive or forget," Taehyung whispered. "You dug your own grave. Now it's time to lie in it. Ciao adios. Be gone, demon. Kiss your dreams goodbye. You aren't getting anywhere in this industry, as long as you live in Korea," he sneered. "If you know what's good for you, leave and never come back." He whipped around and started walking away. Then he suddenly paused. "Oh, I'd change my name if I were you. Someone specifically cut ties with the surname Shin and everything associated with it, blacklisting it in the industry," he said over his shoulder and left with a wave of his fingers.

As the reality of the situation sank in, Na-Rae felt the frustration fill her. The weight of his words settled in her chest, igniting her anger. Taehyung was a pioneer in the entertainment industry. He was an A-lister and there was no way she could fight him on this. She bit her lips, suppressing the scream that she wanted to let out. Her body shook with the fury she was trying to control.

Director Han stared at her with pursed lips and disapproving gaze. "You must have done something really terrible." He scoffed. "All the best, I guess," he said, leaving her to her devices.

Na-Rae wanted to yell at Taehyung for ruining her career but the security guards closing in on her sent alarm through her brain. Two of them were on her in a matter of seconds. "Ma'am, we were asked to escort you outside," one said. "Please come with us."

"This way, please," said the other.

Na-Rae looked around to see several eyes on her and some even had their phones out recording the entire scene unfolding. So she forced a smile on her face and nodded curtly. "No need to follow. I'll leave," she blurted out before rushing out of the sets.

The sound of her own footsteps echoed in the empty hallway that led to the exit. It didn't sound intimidating anymore now that she was running away with a tucked tail. Her thoughts raced and it was not coherent with how one thought crossed over the other.

What the hell just happened? Why was Jimin involved in this? The hot sun greeted her outside and she slipped on her goggles to protect her eyes and probably her emotions from the public eye. Did everyone there know she was kicked out of the brand deal? Was that why they were looking at her curiously?

Hell, this was the same crew she worked with for the past three months. But their demeanor was entirely something else today, which she had failed to notice earlier.

She called her manager only to remember he no longer worked for her. She called the company next but the admin assistant who answered her call refused to transfer her call and instead asked her to go directly.

Her chest heaved as she approached her car as fast as she could. Her frustration was more evident when she failed to unlock her car and succeeded after several attempts. Her hands trembled as she sat on the driver's seat, trying to process everything that just happened.

Na-Rae glanced at the building she just left behind. She couldn't believe what just happened. Maybe this was all an elaborate prank by that bastard.

This must be a sick joke. She revved her engine while gritting her teeth. Her management has to answer this and must address her treatment like this.

536.

It was all fun and games until it wasn't. Shin Na-Rae hadn't known how serious things were until she stepped foot into that office room. She was fully intended to give them hell, pulling her father's financial influence if needed but she had paused when she noticed the solemn look on their faces.

And what was even more puzzling was that the company's entire board was here. She has only met the CEO and the marketing director the most. They all looked like they were in there for a long time and they all looked exhausted. The amount of coffee mugs littering the table was unbelievable. It appeared they haven't had anything but caffeine since however long they were holed up here.

A sense of unease settled in the pit of her stomach and for Na-Rae that didn't happen often. The tension in the room was so thick that it could be sliced with a knife. What did this mean for her? Why was she even here?

Some of them had ditched their suit jackets, their tie askew and a permanent tension etched on their faces. What could be more serious than her getting kicked out of her campaigns? The emails from the company only asked her to meet them as soon as possible and did not specify any valid reason.

What could have transpired to cause such disarray? I've never seen them pulling their hair out for anything else.

Two years ago one of their artists got arrested in a drug scandal and that was all over the media. Even then the board wasn't in such disarray. They had terminated the contract with the artist, released a statement saying they have no connection or whatsoever with the scandal and moved on.

But that wasn't the case here. She always maintained a clean image. She didn't have a single scandal in her career. So the bigger question remained. What could have possibly caused her enter domain to come crashing like this? It was clear to her that something was very wrong. But what was it?

Her eyes darted from one face to another, searching for a hint. However, she only gathered the feeling of disappointment and frustration radiating off them. She swallowed hard, knowing she wouldn't like whatever news they had to share with her.

"Oh, you're finally here," the CEO, Mr. Bong greeted in a sarcastic tone. He looked exhausted but that didn't reflect on the tone of his voice or his demeanor.

Na-Rae's gaze swept across the faces of the members assembled before she stared at the CEO. "Why was I replaced by Laneige?"

"You might need to take a seat for this." He tiredly pointed at an empty chair one of the assistants just dragged in. His expression remained impassive.

The room was otherwise silent with the faint hum of the air conditioner and the occasional sip of coffee being the only sounds. They all knew something she didn't.

Na-Rae was growing impatient. She needed answers but the atmosphere in the room told her to tread carefully. "What is it?" She took a seat, clenching her fists to maintain the sense of calm.

"Park Jimin withdrew all his investment from our company and a few others effective immediately," he informed and Na-Rae frowned.

Her brow furrowed in confusion as her mind raced as she tried to make sense of the situation. What does that have to do with me? Why would he pull out the investments from the company?

It was understandable why such a decision would send a shockwave through the company and it made sense they were all gathered here. She couldn't help the pang of anxiety gnawing at her insides. Kim Taehyung was the one who replaced her. Her mind raced as she tried to connect the dots. If he was involved then... The possibility sent a chill down her spine.

"Shin Na-Rae, how bad did you have to fuck up that Mr. Park has to go to this extreme?" Mr. Bong asked. "The only reason you're here is because of your dad's connections and your family's friendship with Mr. Park."

That confirmed her suspicion, but did not answer what she did for Jimin to do something drastic like this.

"What does his business decision have to do with me?" she growled, trying to hide her unease. Dread settled in the pit of her stomach. "Cut to the chase, Mr. Bong." Her heart hammered in her chest.

No, no, no. Please don't say it's because of something I did.

"Because it's not just a business decision, Ms. Shin," an older board director responded. "As you're aware and liked to flaunt in our faces, Park Jimin is one of our major investors. His reason was pretty clear if you asked us. His decision to withdraw isn't just about a financial aspect because our performance has excelled in the last quarter. He clearly stated that the Park Group henceforth will not work with any company that employs Shin Na-Rae."

Na-Rae gasped and since the room fell silent, the sound echoed in her ears. Every eye in the room was on her. The reasoning hit her like a ton of bricks. As much as she wanted to pretend this was all a nightmare, something clicked in her mind, but the revelation also led her thoughts to be jumbled. She could sense the shift in the atmosphere. They didn't look at her with empathy or concern. Instead, they stared at her as if she was the pest that needed to be taken care of.

Her brain was so slow to catch up. "H-He said that?"

Why?

"You lost seventeen brand deals along with the movie and the drama you signed up to debut. It's all over," Mr. Bong said. "What's even worse? You refused to answer our calls, texts, emails." He threw his hands in the air. "I've worked with divas before but no one has been as unprofessional as you. I'm glad I don't have to put up with you much longer. If I had a say in your recruitment, I wouldn't have selected you in the first place. I would never work with someone who lacks work ethics."

"Y-You cannot replace me like that?" she mumbled.

"Yes, we can and we did. Remember, Ms. Shin, you're not the only artist who has signed up with our agency. We have already supplied alternate artists for these campaigns and for the brands that refused to replace you at first gave in as soon as they learned they'd be getting Kim Taehyung's dates instead of you. There was one Taehyung refused to take and we paid a hefty compensation so they wouldn't sue us for the loss," Mr. Bong informed her.

Taehyung's taunting words suddenly began to replay in her mind. This was a personal attack. She had no doubt of that now. He elaborately planned for this to happen and even had a contingency plan in place. His plan being Kim fucking Taehyung, one of the highest paid actor and model in the industry.

"So what about the omega specific brands?" she sneered. "Taehyung is gonna become an omega now?" She ground her jaw. "I'd like to see him selling tampons. What about Samsung?"

Samsung was one of the landmark brand deals she has landed and she couldn't imagine losing it. It was huge. That would have elevated her position as a model in the industry. Five new campaigns for the rest of the year were waiting for her.

Mr. Bong raised his eyebrows, looking the least pleased. "No, Ms. Shin. Choi Jiseung has agreed to replace you on omega specific campaigns. As for Samsung, we do not know what their stand in this matter is. But we have decided to terminate your contract no matter the outcome. We will provide Samsung with another model. It's not like we lack omega models in our agency. Our team here says that we have better models in place and we have already shared a portfolio with them." He didn't even look apologetic or remorseful as he delivered the words that was going to change her life upside down.

Her eyes widened with each word and her face contorted with rage. "Unbelievable. I fell asleep and couldn't answer your calls so what? You're just gonna replace me with reason or whatsoever? That is your solution to all this mess? You're my agency. You should be fighting on my behalf! You said I'll have an entire legal team at my disposal. What happened to that now? Isn't it a blackmail? Why aren't you guys suing Park Jimin? You're all taking an easy way out by dropping me," she accused. "How could you do that to me? If you want investment my father can invest millions! This is ridiculous!"

Mr. Bong chuckled, remaining steadfast and unmoved by her outburst. "Jimin-ssi has invested billions," he said nonchalantly, his tone calm, composed and firm. "A pigeon will never become a hawk, Ms. Shin."

"I'll challenge you in court," she threatened. "You're throwing me out for no valid reason."

"You may do as you please," Mr. Bong looked unbothered. "We have evidence to prove your lack of work ethics and your manager will testify how abusive you were. If you're clever, you'll try to salvage whatever reputation is left of. But let me make things more clear. This isn't just about whatever is going on between you and the Park group, but about your accountability and professionalism. You're by far the worst employee our company ever had."

Her face lost color as his words landed heavy on her. There was only one time she was careless. Was that the reason?

"You have never helped us in any manner, Ms. Shin," the older board director added. "Since the moment you joined us, you never failed to remind us why we should get you the brand deals and make you a star. But in return, you treated your co-workers as if they were way beneath your standards. You never respected anyone here."

"I...I..." she stammered.

"We've been here since last night, replying to all our shareholders and banging our heads about handling the investors who want to withdraw as well. We haven't slept a wink and we lost count of the number of coffees we had. Our position in the stock market is a literal joke and the media is up our ass but you wouldn't even answer your phone," Mr. Bong piped in. "You may leave, Ms. Shin. Someone from the legal department will be in touch with you regarding your contract termination." He gestured toward the door.

"I...please...Mr. Bong, there could be something I can do to make this right. I can speak to Jimin. This is all a huge misunderstanding," she tried. She felt like her world was crumbling around her. Her heart was about to burst out of her chest and her breathing was erratic.

Her words seemed to fall on deaf ears as one of the assistants came to her, silently asking her to leave. No one cared to look at her face after everything was laid out on the table. They seemed to avoid looking in her direction now that they have fired her from the agency.

"Mr. Bong..." she called once again.

"Good luck finding another agency, Ms. Shin. The Park Group has invested in most of the entertainment companies in Korea. Heard they have made several new investments in small, up and coming agencies too. It's all over the news. So...bye."

Be gone, demon. Kiss your dreams goodbye. You aren't getting anywhere in this industry, as long as you live in Korea. If you know what's good for you, leave and never come back. Oh, I'd change my name if I were you. Someone specifically cut ties with the surname Shin and everything associated with it, blacklisting it in the industry.

Na-Rae swallowed everything suddenly becoming crystal clear. Park fucking Jimin! She clenched her fists so hard that her nails dug into her palms hard enough to draw blood. But the pain faded in comparison to the anger burning bright within her.

Her emotions were a wreck and she could hear the sound of her world shattering around her. "You were supposed to have my back," she whispered. "You were supposed to fight for me regardless of the situation."

However, her words fell on deaf ears. The assistant bent to her ear level. "Ma'am, please..."

A sense of hopelessness washed over her. "That's it?" she asked and once again no one responded.

"Ma'am, we will have to use force if you refuse to leave," the assistant persisted. "Please follow us outside."

Na-Rae's bottom lip trembled as she jumped to her feet. "Fine! Shin Na-Rae doesn't need anyone. If you won't fight for me then I'll fight for myself. Mr. Bong, mark my words, I'll make you regret this. You have terminated my contract for something I never did, now you'll have to answer the court. I won't let this go."

Perhaps it wasn't the greatest idea she ever came up with but the need to have the last say in any matter was burning bright inside her. She wasn't going to walk out of this office like a sore loser. She glanced at the empty coffee mugs lined up to her left and realized they didn't even offer her a drink since she arrived. Now they all sat like a silent witness to her humiliation.

Fucking ugly mugs.

With a growl, she brushed a hand over the table, pushing them off the surface and causing it to crash on the floor. The cacophony of shattering ceramic sent a grim satisfaction coursing through her system. She surveyed the startled faces with a scowl before storming out of the board room.

Shewasn't someone to be trifled with. Na-Rae was furious and she wasn't going tolet this go. 

537.

538.

***

here's a video for anyone who wants to see my place

https://youtu.be/SPYOoG8_tVE