YOU

I

I felt bad lying to my best friend but I was told to.. not exactly lie but just leave out some details. I didn't really have to, cause knowing her she wouldn't have known anyway. Not in her current condition.. maybe before everything that's happened I would have to. Or maybe I could've just told her that I can't tell her, she wouldn't press for it I know. Anyway, I did what I did. And how things turned out I think I made it up to her.

My best friend and I have met each other at a time when we were both having a difficult time. I just moved to a new country still struggling with the the new culture, the new job and of course the language. But there she was ready to save my day.

I didn't understand what the director barked at me but I just nodded, afraid to ask again what it was he wanted. In my head I was screaming, recalling every syllable that was spat out, racking my internal dictionary for something similar that will make sense in this situation. She must have noticed my confused and lost state and she came over and repeated what the director just said. In Korean. I stood there stupidly shocked that she had translated for me. Stupid because this is the very reason why we're here, shooting her teledocumentary, in the first place. Her mind is a wonder. How she can speak multiple languages without having formally learned them after waking up from a coma is something the doctors and numerous specialists still can't figure out. (Check out her story: Unwritten)

After the shock and relief of finally understanding what the director wanted, I went and did it then came back to her and profusely thanked her. From then on we stuck together like glue and became best friends. I've become more myself, no longer the shy rookie producer/writer. She's given me the leg up, the crutches to navigate the TV industry in this country by being my very own interpreter, albeit in secret. I'd like to think that our time together doing that documentary led to her new career path. After the show ended, off she went and took a job on the other end of the country where tourists abound, the need for interpreters overflow.

Despite the distance, we kept our friendship strong, even our professions have been mutually beneficial. With the Korean entertainment industry continuing to flourish around the world, I've become a sort of bridge to this side of the world for shows, talent promotions, concerts you name it, I'm on it. My network has become vast that I've always got someone I can reach out to. And my bestfriend Ellie is one of them. I always send potential jobs her way and there's heaps that come through that sometimes her company had to turn them down.

So when I called her asking if she can take a job, it wasn't out of place. Even reminded her of the running joke in her company of my commission in brownie points, literally. Ellie makes the best brownies and I love it when she sends some my way. Of course it's not really my commission, but I love them.

She was onboard with it after just giving her a brief description of who the client was, trying to see if she would have an idea who it might be. Of course as I expected she is clueless that this client is 1/7th of the biggest band in the world. Great. Their secret is safe. I just need to make sure her company keeps this under wraps. I trust Ellie but her company might mess this up and I can't risk that.

So I lied that I had no idea who it was as well so I didn't have to tell her anything more, avoiding anymore details to be spilled out that might give out clues for a potential Sherlock Holmes in their company.

Of course I knew exactly who it was. His personal manager, Minho, is even an old friend of mine back in Korea. And that's exactly how I got this job. He trusted me to send them to someone I trust to keep their privacy. Our family has always been in the entertainment industry, not as talents, but as people in the background - producer, camera man etc. and that's how Minho got into the industry too and is handling one of the biggest stars in the world right now.

And like I said before, despite my guilty feelings, I made it up to her and it all turned out great. In fact, I'm on my way to meet her across the seas to finally personally be introduced to her now boyfriend, the 1/7th of the biggest band in the world - Min Yoongi. She's visiting him in Korea while I'm starting my sabbatical, taking a break from tv shows and trying to refocus my life, regain my passion that I'm starting to lose cause of the stress and politics in the workplace.