Chapter 23: Glass Walls and German Secrets
Min-ho was on a mission. He hadn't seen Clara since that utterly baffling encounter with the "perfectly cloned elven twins." Frustrated, he cornered Mr. Kim.
"Mr. Luk told me that he and Ji-soo can't make it to the set today," his assistant stammered. "They're meeting with Mr. Pascale to settle something important."
A cold shiver ran down Min-ho's spine. Settle something? What on earth could the three of them possibly have to settle? Was it about which twin got to take Ji-soo out first? And how could she meet them without even giving him a heads-up? Min-ho hated the idea of her being alone with those two. He demanded the location from Mr. Kim immediately.
Meanwhile, on the other side of town in a quaint little café, the atmosphere was far from peaceful. Lukas sucked on his iced coffee, glaring at Pascale. Pascale sipped his café au lait, staring back without so much as a blink. Finally, Lukas snapped.
(Switching to German) "What are you staring at, you stupid cow?" Lukas hissed. "Excuse me? If anyone here is looking stupid, it's you, you piece of work," Pascale retorted. "How dare you! You started this, you little thief! You stole those shoots I was booked for back then. Admit it!" "I didn't steal anything, darling," Pascale purred. "I was simply more popular than you." "Don't make me laugh! You slept your way to the top, you hussy!" "So what? At least I had more talent than you." "Please! Since when is bending over a talent, you tramp?"
Clara slammed her fist onto the table. "Girls! Would you please stop fighting?" she snapped in German. "In case you've forgotten, we're here to discuss how to handle the man in the hat. Does either of you have an actual idea?"
The twins looked down, appearing momentarily guilty. "Sorry, sweetie," Lukas muttered. "He just knows exactly how to provoke me."
"I know, Luki," Clara's voice softened. "I'm sorry for putting you in this position, but I need you both. We have to be a team. I want my life back. I'm done hiding and running away."
Lukas reached out and took Clara's hand. "You're right. I'm sorry. This is about you, and I think it's incredibly brave of you to face this." Pascale took her other hand, nodding in solemn agreement.
Outside, Min-ho had arrived. The café was nearly empty, which made his "stealth mission" difficult. Instead of walking in, he opted for what he considered a tactical masterstroke: espionage.
He crouched down and crept toward a large glass display case filled with colorful macarons and cakes. He pressed himself as flat as he could against the furniture, holding his breath. Perfect, he thought. They can't see me here.
He strained his ears, ready to intercept every word of Ji-soo's "date." But the sounds reaching him weren't Korean. It was a barrage of harsh consonants and strange sibilants.
"What is this? Are they speaking in code?" he whispered, bewildered. The fact that the three of them were speaking fluent German while plotting their move was a barrier his CEO-brain couldn't solve.
Through the glass, he saw Pascale lean forward. His face was grave as he reached out and placed a hand comfortingly on Clara's thigh.
A supernova exploded inside Min-ho. Hand off her, you European clone! he screamed internally. He was about to topple the display case when he noticed Lukas staring directly at him.
Lukas, calmly sipping his drink, looked Min-ho right in the eye through the glass and slowly shook his head.
"My God," Lukas said in German to the others, pointing a finger at the display case. "How did this man ever become a producer? He doesn't even realize that glass cabinets are transparent. My Kimi-bear is definitely the smarter one, that's for sure."
Pascale snickered maliciously while Clara let out a heavy sigh.
There was no turning back now. Realizing his cover—which had never existed—was blown, Min-ho lunged from behind the cakes and stormed toward the table. He looked like a vengeful god in a bespoke suit.
"Enough!" he barked, looming over Clara. "Ji-soo, we're leaving. Now. I won't let you waste your time with these... these foreign-language lunatics! What are you doing here? Why are you hiding with them?"
Lukas rolled his eyes. "Oh great, the Terminator has arrived." Pascale arched an eyebrow. "Is this your producer? He certainly has... a lot of energy."
Min-ho ignored them, his eyes locked on Clara. "Come with me. Immediately. You didn't even tell me where you were going. Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to just vanish?"
Clara gently pulled her hands away from the twins, but she didn't stand up. She looked Min-ho in the eye with calm determination.
"Min-ho, please leave," she said softly but firmly. Min-ho froze. "What?"
"This isn't about you right now. And it's not about the show," she continued. "I have something very important to handle with Lukas and Pascale. Something that decides my future."
"But I want to protect you!" Min-ho blurted out. It felt like a slap in the face. The rejection stung more than he cared to admit. Was she really brushing him off for these two?
"You can't protect me from everything, Min-ho," Clara said, her voice turning gentler. "Some battles I have to fight myself so that I can... finally be free. Please, trust me. Go back to the set. I'll explain everything when it's over."
Min-ho stood there, paralyzed. He saw the gravity in her eyes and the hostile, yet strangely protective glares of the twins. He felt like an outsider. Without another word, he turned and walked out of the café, his heart racing.
He didn't know that Clara was doing all of this just to shake off the shadows of her past—so she could finally have a real chance at a future with him.