Being an international student in a Korean University isn’t always what people imagine, there is a lot of hatred and racism but there are also a few people who are very good and open. SNU has a beautiful campus with a lot of beautiful women, some were even K-pop idols who people all around the world love.
It was early in the morning, you see a familiar figure walking across the empty halls of the engineering building. “Yooa, what are you doing here so early?” Yooa is one of those famous K-pop idols whom everyone loves but she was also one of your close friends.
“I should be asking you that, I am here to take the exam for the thermodynamics class early because I have a shoot scheduled today,” Yooa says as she continues to walk towards the classroom.
“I am also here to take the exam, I have an important presentation for my startup company today” you reply excited to know that you had a companion to take the exam with instead of sitting in a huge hall with just the professor and you.
“Oh good luck with your presentation, I know that you have been working really hard for the company. Text me about how it goes and maybe at the end of the day we can sit down for a drink, it has been a minute since we both had some free time” Yooa says
“Yes, I would love that, if today's meeting goes well, I will buy the food and drinks, if not it's up to you” you wink at her and stick your tongue out to tease her.
The exam and meeting went well and you were able to get the funding you needed. By the time you were done with informing the team and assigning more tastes to everyone it was already getting dark. Calling it a day you decided to head home, as you are driving you to get a call from Yooa telling you to head over to her place.
After buying some Korean fried chicken and beer you head to her place. Knocking on the door you wait for Yooa to open the door but shockingly it was Bae Joohyun also known as Irene the leader of Red Velvet who greeted you. Before you can say anything Irene says “come on in Yooa has been expecting you, she is in the washroom that is why I am opening the door”
“Hi, I am Y/N, it is a pleasure to meet you ma’am I am a huge fan of yours, sorry for not saying anything when you opened the door I was shocked because I was under the impression that Yooa was alone,” you say apologizing for your behavior and also while having your fanboy moment.
“Thank you very much, I am a close friend of Yooa and had stopped by unannounced, sorry for interrupting your alone time with Yooa,” Irene says with a subtly mocking tone, as you sit down on the couch across from where Irene is seated.
As you were going to say something Yooa limps into the living room looking a little flushed and her hair in a mess. “Hey! How was your presentation? Did you get the funding?”
“Yes it did, it went very well, we got a much better deal than we were expecting. How was your photoshoot and why the hell did you never tell me that you were friends with Irene-nim?” You inquire because Yooa was aware that you are a huge Red Velvet fan
“It never really came up in a conversation so that is why I never mentioned it to you,” Yooa says.
“That is such a bad excuse but I’m going to let that slide because my day has been going very well so far and meeting Irene-nim only made it better,” you say and flash a small smile to Irene who is sitting across from you.
Irene remains quiet throughout, just using her phone. What you found weird was that Yooa kept shifting in her place almost like something was bothering her. “Yooa is everything alright? Is something bothering you?”
“I am fine, just tired from the photoshoot. Anyways, did you buy some food and alcohol?” she replies with a weak voice and hugs her pillow.
Shaking your head in disappointment because of her obsession with food. Pointing to the dining table you say “Yeah, I got some fried chicken and beer. If I knew that you had people over I would have gotten something better.”
Suddenly Irene says “It is fine, I enjoy eating fried chicken so you don’t have to feel bad”
“Wonderful then do you guys want to watch a movie while eating?” you ask.
"I am famished, and the aroma isn't making it any easier," Irene replied while flicking on the TV to search for a movie. You turned to Yooa to gauge her opinion, and she simply nodded in agreement.
"Sure, I'm fine with any movie you choose. I'll grab the food after I use the restroom," you said as you got up from the couch and headed toward the bathroom. When you returned, you noticed a tense atmosphere in the living room. Irene seemed intimidated, and Yooa appeared to be pleading for something. However, you decided not to pay attention to it and made your way to the table to retrieve the food and drinks.
Irene chose the movie "M3gan," a horror film that piqued your interest. You generally enjoyed horror movies, so you thought it was a good choice. However, as the movie progressed, you found it to be dull and not at all scary, despite your expectations. Eventually, you started to doze off and only woke up when Yooa let out a sudden scream.
You woke up to find your head resting on Irene's shoulder and quickly turned to apologize to her. However, Irene reassured you by saying, "You looked exhausted, so I didn't want to wake you up. You're welcome to use my shoulder again if you need to sleep." You thanked her and glanced back at the TV, realizing that nothing particularly frightening was happening on the screen. This made you wonder why Yooa had screamed so loudly earlier.
Yooa appeared disheveled and had tears in her eyes, which was unusual since you didn't think she was easily frightened. However, you didn't want to say anything since it seemed like she was already having a bad day. When the movie ended, you decided to take your leave. However, before you could go, Irene surprised you by asking for your phone number. You were taken aback by the request but also felt excited about the prospect of getting to know her better.
Irene sent you a picture and a message: "This is Irene, better save my number. It was nice meeting you. Hope you get home safely."
You replied, "It was nice meeting you too, Noona," while admiring the picture and feeling grateful for the unexpected opportunity to text Irene.
Irene quickly replied, "Stop calling me ma'am, it makes me feel old. Just call me Noona or Irene. Also, please excuse Yooa's behavior today. She's exhausted from the photo shoot."
"Okay, I'll call you Noona. I don't think I can ever call you Irene," you replied. "I hope Yooa feels better tomorrow. Goodnight, Noona. Sleep well."
Irene bid you goodnight, and you reciprocate the sentiment before ending your conversation with her.
After you get home you decide to go to sleep as you still have to attend classes tomorrow. When you wake up in the morning you have a couple of emails and texts, one of them that caught your eye was a video from a discord server that you were a part of.
The video depicted a woman tied to a chair, her face out of frame, making it impossible to identify her. The woman was being tortured sexually by a couple of vibrators. As the video continued to play, the woman in the chair could be seen squirming and writhing in pleasure, her moans growing louder and more urgent with each passing moment. She begged and pleaded with the controller, her voice trembling with desire, "Please...please let me cum...I'll do anything...just let me cum..." The voice in the video was distorted using a modulator, making it difficult to identify the person speaking.
As you watched the video, your eyes were drawn to the background, and you noticed a structure that looked familiar. It was the same structure that you had carefully crafted and gifted to Yooa for her birthday last year. The realization hit you like a ton of bricks - the girl in the video was Yooa, the famous K-pop idol that you had met just last night. You were absolutely sure it was her because the structure in the background was the only one of its kind, and you had built it exclusively for her.
The shock and disbelief you felt were overwhelming. How could someone as successful and admired as Yooa be involved in something like this? Your mind raced with questions and doubts, and you couldn't help but wonder if this was some sort of sick prank or a case of mistaken identity. However, the evidence in front of you was undeniable, and you couldn't ignore the sickening feeling in your stomach.
The first thought that crossed your mind was that Yooa was possibly being coerced into doing something against her will and that someone was blackmailing her. The only way to confirm your suspicions was to speak to her directly.
You headed to your classes with the hope that Yooa would be present so that you could approach her. Unfortunately, she was absent, which was not unusual since she was an idol. Resolving to wait until the next day, you spent the majority of your time after classes working on your company.
However, Yooa was absent for the entire week, which prompted you to text her, requesting a meeting to discuss an urgent matter. After waiting for a few hours, Yooa finally responded to your text, saying that she was willing to meet up with you the next day at a coffee shop near the school. You agreed to the meeting and spent the rest of the night preparing for it.
As you sat down with Yooa at the coffee shop the next day, you could sense that she was a bit nervous. After some small talk, you finally brought up the reason for the meeting. You expressed your concern about the situation and wondered if someone was blackmailing her into doing something she didn't want to do.
Yooa looked shocked but kept her composure and denied doing such things. You pointed out the evidence and told her that it was Yooa for sure because there is no way anyone has that same structure. Yooa finally gave in and agrees that is her and explained that she was not being blackmailed, but that she was struggling with the stress. She shared that being an idol was very stressful and she was finding it hard to balance her studies and her career, but this was a way for her to gain relief and that she loved how people would treat her in the comments whenever she posted it.
You were completely shocked and couldn't believe that Yooa was engaging in such activities of her own volition. "Yooa, what about your fans? What if they discover this? And if the person in the video exposes you on the internet, it could ruin your entire life."
"I appreciate your concern for my safety, but you need not worry," Yooa replied. "The person controlling me in those videos is not male, and she wouldn't leak anything because she stands to lose more than I do."
"I can't do that, Yooa," you exclaimed, slamming your hands on the table. The sudden noise caught everyone's attention in the cafe, and you felt embarrassed by your outburst. You quickly realized your mistake and apologized to the onlookers.
Realizing that your conversation needed to be more private, you suggested to Yooa, "Let's go somewhere more secluded to talk. It's best if people don't see us together as it could create a massive scandal for you." You then took Yooa's hand and led her toward your car.
Yooa followed without protest as you drove to her house. Once inside, you both sat at the dining table, silently staring at each other for a few moments before Yooa broke the silence. "So, what did you want to talk about?" she asked.
You didn't waste any time and immediately asked, "Yooa, how can you be so sure that this woman won't abandon you?"
Yooa's response was defensive and sharp, "Even if she does decide to leak everything, why do you care? It's none of your business."
"Yooa, you're my friend," you replied, your voice shaking with emotion. "You were the first person who treated me like a real human being, and that's why I want to protect you and be there for you. Please stop doing this; it's not safe."
Yooa's response was firm, "I can't stop, or rather, I don't want to stop. For the first time in so long, I have something that I enjoy. Something that allows me to release all the stress without having to pretend. This is who I truly am."
"If this is truly what you want, then I cannot force you to change your mind. However, I have one request. If you agree to it, I promise to stop bothering you about this," you say calmly.
"What is it?" Yooa replies.
"I would like to meet the other person involved in all of this. I need to know what kind of person they are and ensure that they won't cause you any harm," you explain, your voice firm.