01

moonbroch

( a halo round the moon which presages
an approaching storm )

20th December, 2019

KO YEO MIN took a deep breath as her driver opened the door of the car. Within seconds, the blinding flashes of the cameras was targeted at her. With her signature grin tugging at her lips, she came out, her white gown's tulle brushing the ground behind her. The diamonds and sequins on her dress sparkled on being exposed to the dreamy light that rained on her.

Yeo Min picked the tulle of her dress elegantly, to reach a little higher, almost at the level of her Achilles. Reporters clicked pictures endlessly as she sashayed her way on the red carpet, her pearl studded high heels in full view. Cheers and praises of her echoed in her ears, waves of fans making her feel delightful.

She could feel the coldness of December numbing her body but she carried on without making it evident on her face. Oh, how desperately she wanted to be inside her warm blanket back at home! Dressing up for public appearances during winters was a nightmare for female celebrities. It always felt as if there was barely any fabric on her body to cover herself. Inconveniences such as catching colds and fever later were an integral part of being a celebrity.

The host, Lilac from the kpop group GameX greeted her a few steps later with a polite bow. She bent her body in a full ninety degree to return the greetings from her side.

Reporters from various telivision channels were swarming the area infront of her, scribbling down everything they see. The front page of the newspaper next day would be full of the well-dressed celebrities that had attended the event. Not a single thing would go unnoticed. There would be rumours and scandals too depending on who locks eyes with another celebrity.

"Miss Ko Yeo Min, it's a pleasure to see you in this evening. Your film 'Moving Sins' has been the talk of the town lately. How does it feel to finally get noticed as a lead character?"

"Oh, it's been great! 'Moving Sins' is definitely a lucky charm that will remain as a landmark in my career. I am glad that the audience found my acting wonderful. Nothing gives me more joy than entertaining people."Yeo Min answered, taking the microphone from Lilac's hand. The camera was rolling, every single word of their conversation being recorded.

"So, do you think you will be able to win 'Rookie Actress of the Year'? You have received the first nomination of your life in this award show. Congratulations!"

"Thank you. I can't predict."Yeo Min smiled, trying her best to appear modest." There's so many other amazing actresses who have been nominated along with me. I believe they have worked harder than me."

"I agree but your performance was quite a treat to the eyes. I look forward to your category. All the best. Fighting!" He showed her his fist which made her imitate it.

The guards escorted her to the hall where the main event was taking place. The hall was pretty big , the stage catching her eyes almost immediately. It was gorgeously decorated, shaped like a lotus in full bloom. The chandeliers above shone brightly, floral cut-outs hanging beside them. The room was brightly lit, the sequins of the richly dressed celebrities making their appearance appear even more appealing.

Recognition rippled through her as familiar faces from the television industry came into her view. Everyone looked radiant and much similar to what they looked on-screen . Some formed groups of two-three, busy chatting casually. She still had not got the chance to befriend a lot of people in the industry. She was still new, taking her time to explore the people that were supposed to be her allies and completions in the future.

A guy in sparkly suit was waving at her enthusiastically from a side seat of the front row. Lee Ha Joon. Her co-star of 'Moving Sins'. Finally having someone who she actually knew made her feel relieved. She was hoping to get to know some more people. Connections were really important for her career. She could just ask him later to introduce her to a few dignitaries.

Taking a seat beside Ha Joon, she opened the seal of the water bottle infront of her, chugging the whole amount in one go.

"You seem quite thirsty. Did Lilac ask you too much?" Ha Joon enquired marvelling at the sight infront of him. Beads of sweat was forming on her forehead, the atmosphere being unusually a bit too hot.

"No, it was alright. I am not much interesting to begin with."

"Good for you. I was bombarded with questions regarding my dating life. I mean how did they think I was dating Kayla Evans? I am a mere Korean actor and she's from Hollywood. I don't even know her personally."he huffed, annoyance evident on his features.

"That's too much. Has Dispatch released some articles? They put the oil on the fire everytime for no good reason."

"Let's not start about Dispatch. They clicked some pictures with a foreigner actress I was talking to on the sets of an upcoming film and assumed it was Kayla."

"That's funny. Your fans have been raging about it. Only a new hot topic will calm the rumours down. You better look out."

"I agree. It will take a while to get this topic over with."

"When we were working together,we got into a baseless scandal too. Remember how I was bashed for that?" Yeo Min reminded Ha Joon.

"I was so displeased and disappointed about that. The media surely lives in a world full of imaginations."

"It makes me laugh sometimes. By the way, your outfit today is a little different than usual."she commented, running her eyes on the design carefully.

"Oh,you noticed finally. I am always in different shades of brown and white. I don't know what made my stylist think that it would be okay to make me go off the board this time. She even added tons of hairspray on my hair to get my forehead exposed."

"Don't worry too much. You actually look good. Enjoy the event. You are nominated for the 'Best Actor' category for god's sake. Put on a smile on your face. You can't possibly show your sad face on the camera."

"I will try too."he shrugged."I am an actor,after all. It took some time for me to get used to acting all nice whenever the camera is around me. This 'image' that the company pushes us into is really tiring. At the end of the day I am nothing like it. Sensing a camera takes a lot of experience too. Then,there are some fans who notice every single thing that I am doing."

"I completely understand your point. I mean the fans never let a single thing get off the hook. Sometimes I think they were hawks in their previous lives."

"You are right."he laughed heartily. "You seem quite enthusiastic today. Did something special happen that I am not aware of?"

"Oh, not at all. I am just elated thinking about how many celebrities I am going to see and meet today. I am especially excited for Han Mun Yeong."

"Award shows aren't that great,Yeo Min. It will take years for you to understand my point. It's always chaotic. The dramas that unfold off-camera will scare you. Everyone's not that nice. Then, some actors buy the awards secretly. It's some unfair business we have here."

"Are you serious?" Yeo Min's eyes bulged out. She wasn't expecting to hear about the unfair part which only insiders knew."How did you know that?"

"It's just really evident. Deserving candidates return empty-handed years after years. It took me four years to land on my first award."he said sulkily.

"That means I really can't expect to win today."her shoulders slumped with disappointment, the excitement that was bubbling inside her gone within a second.

"Hey, don't loose hope. You gotta be strong if you want to survive in this glamour world. Not everything goes in your way all the time. You appeared in one film and luckily you tasted success."he gave her an encouraging smile,dimples protruding from his cheeks.

"It's just I was hoping for the award. I couldn't sleep last night. You see,I am really nervous. What if I get lost in the sea of nothingness again? 'Moving Sins' got the success thanks to your popularity. I don't have much contribution."

"I am offended. You are an amazing actress. Without you, there would have been no place of the movie in people's heart. The critics and media praised you, remember?"he ran his fingers through his hair to prevent the loose strands from accumulating on his forehead.

"True."she gave him a tight smile as she relaxed her back against the chair. "We are actors and the people's love matter the most."

"It's almost seven. When's this show getting started?" Ha Joon glanced at his fancy designer watch impatiently.

"I don't know. They are infamous for making people wait."

A sudden commotion caught their attention. Yeo Min flung her eyes towards the entrance, her cheeks flushing in awe. It was the legendary, Han Mun Yeong. Oh, how she walked and looked! Those sun kissed shoulders popped out of her red off-shoulder gown, her lips painted a brilliant crimson. Her eyes were the most brilliant thing that Yeo Min had seen after arriving. She looked as if she had popped out of a fairytale.

Han Mun Yeong swayed her hips as she walked, her hands entwined with Park Tae Joon, her rumoured fiance. She was tall,her head almost reaching the 6 feet Tae Joon's level. Everyone rose from their seats to pay their greetings. She was the uncrowned queen of the Korean film industry, someone who created typhoons in the box office collections and magazines. She was from the same yet, different world of Yeo Min.

"Wow. I thought she wouldn't show up today. She's with Tae Joon more surprisingly."

"What's with the look on your face? He's her fiance, isn't he?" Yeo Min looked at Ha Joon briefly.

"Rumours say that Tae Joon was caught cheating on her back by Mun Yeong. They had fought about it on the set of their movie. The same one which got her nominated for most of the awards today."

"Oh, my."she gasped."Let's not believe everything. Yours was a lie. Theirs might be too. Look, they seem perfectly alright. I don't see any abnormality."

"Tae Joon is a big snake. He knows how to make things look alright. I have known him since my rookie days. He's what he is because Mun Yeong had his back."

Yeo Min nodded, believing nothing. She always found Tae Joon to be in his best behaviour whenever he was in public. She wished to be his co-star atleast once in her life.

The whispers around them grew a bit louder making them look towards the entrance again. Mun Yeong and Tae Joon were looking towards the same direction.

It was Min Cecelia. She was standing in an extravagant and revealing outfit. The sequins and colours were so bright that Yeo Min believed she had gone blind.

"Damn,this is some pickle in the pizza. Tae Joon was cheating on Mun Yeong with Cecelia. Now, she decided to show up too. Look how Mun Yeong is glaring straight at her."

"What? Are you serious? Why would Tae Joon pick Cecelia over Mun Yeong?"

"I guess he likes her genuinely. She's some notorious girl. Birds of a feather flock together, indeed."

Cecelia marched towards where Mun Yeong was seated. She smirked as she bowed to say 'hello'. Mun Yeong didn't budge, she looked away.

Cecelia didn't seem bothered about how she was ignored by Mun Yeong. She took a seat right behind Mun Yeong causing the latter to shift nervously and glance towards Tae Joon's direction. Tae Joon looked disturbed, his fingers clawing at his tie. He did not dare to meet her gaze.

Yeo Min watched the scenes unfold, slightly amused. The others who were most probably gossiping about the trio visibly made Mun Yeong get affected. She seemed distressed, taking sips from her water bottle every now and then. The queen who was so confident at the beginning was reduced to a tensed woman who wanted to avoid getting into a scandal at any cost.

Minutes later,when all the guests seemed to have arrived,the two hosts Lilac and the comedian, Kim Hee Jun took their positions on the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are here tonight to celebrate talents. Put on your seatbelts, it's gonna be a long and wild night!" Lilac's voice boomed in the microphone, followed by a roaring applause from the audience.

[WORD COUNT : 2171]