NationStates Jolt Archive

OOC:
The storyline is basically about a South Dalanian pop star idol (based off of the real life Korean pop stars, Kwon BoA and Hyori Lee) who's life in the limelight is overshadowed by several sinister plot developments. In essence, the storyline is similiar to the anime Perfect Blue, if anyone here saw it, only not exactly copying that storyline.

That said, let's get to work.

http://icedgreentea.ayomedia.com/gallery/boa/boa08.jpg
So you all have a basic idea on what she looks like. Btw, that's Kwon BoA, better known as BoA

IC:

Control

She spun quickly, executing a half turn and a spin kick before dropping into a half crouch. Leaning backwards, she leapt to her feet, throwing her head back into a slightly sensual pose, before running her hands down the sides of her slim body. Her weight was thrown forward as she dropped down into a slight crouch, offering a wink as she did.

Composure

Sweat dripped down her face from the brutal workout. The glaring heat of the studio, the bright flare of the lights, and the fast-paced movements of her body caused her to feel like she was dancing on the face of the sun itself. Fatigue worked itself into every seam and joint on her body, tiring her and making her feel like she wanted to collapse. Still, she kept on dancing, showing no sign that she was even tired.

Class

She moved with style and grace that no one could match, not even the three skilled backup dancers behind her. Her movements kept her watchers on the edge of their seats as they leaned forward to make sure she kept to the choreography. Still she seemed to move effortlessly, showing no signs of fatigue and still managing to smile and keep herself wrapped in a kind of charm.

"All right!" shouted the choreographer as he stepped forward onto the dance floor. "That's good enough for today...let's get out of here and go home people."

Lee Eun Jin smiled as she stood upright from her dance position, wiping the sweat off her brow with one hand. At 20 years of age, she was the leading South Dalanian popular artist and was one of the biggest pop names in all of Asia. Having been tutored in her already amazing dancing and singing talents since the age of 15, Eun Jin was a star among stars, having dominated the gasoo (ooc: Korean for "singer") charts for the past year. And unlike many of her fellow gasoos, Eun Jin's looks hadn't been augmented or tainted by plastic surgeons; it was widely believed that she was one of the most beautiful women in all of East Asia.

"Eun Jin....Eun Jin..." smiled a tall man sitting in a folding canvas chair as he climbed up, walking over to embrace the tired pop star in a wide hug. As Eun Jin's manager, Park Jung Woo had made a name for himself in the entertainment business. His name was synonomous with the word "success" and he had taken more than a few gasoos to the top. His list of proteges went on and on, but underneath all the flashy exterior, he was really a quiet kindhearted man. He never tried to take advantage of his proteges or "milk" money from them, but always acted in their interests. It was for these reasons that Eun Jin had asked him to be her manager and the two of them were almost like father and daughter.

"The rehearsal went great," smiled Eun Jin as she returned the hug. "I feel like I'm really ready for the upcoming concert."

Jung Woo smiled at her, stepping back as he remarked, "Excellent! You certainly look like you are."

She flashed him a tired grin and a peace sign. "Right now though, what I really want is a hot bath and a nap."

"We'll get you home right away then," spoke Jung Woo as he looked at his watch. The two of them walked towards the exit door at the back of the studio. "I only hope the fans haven't--"

He opened the swinging steel door and the sounds of screams reached the two of them from the street below. Already at least two dozens fans were gathered around the chauffeured car parked below, waving signs and cheering. Many held up peace signs or waved autograph books as they clamored for the young pop star's attention. More than a few of the fans were males, a few waving signs with marraige proposals, the remainder armed with cameras.

"Let's go!" shouted Jung Woo as the two of them made a break for the car. On either side of the cleared aisle to the car, a few security guards made an attempt to hold back the screaming crowd. Ahead of them, the driver of the car leapt out, rushing back to open the left-hand side passenger doors in expectation of his two VIP's.

Despite the fact that she was rushing, Eun Jin kept a broad smile on her face as she ran, even accepting notes and letters that were handed to her by various fans in the crowd. Finally disappearing into the chauffeured Mercedes, she waved and smiled through the tinted windows as the car drove off.

As the crowd receded back following the excitement, one man remained behind. A tall gangly looking figure, he was clad in old faded jeans and a black t-shirt which hung off of his wasted figure. Scraggly unkempt dark hair lay over his face, half-covering his features as he watched the Mercedes recede into the evening.

Letting his hand drop to his side, he reached around his neck, tugging at the Polaroid camera hanging there. Taking the photo from the tray, he looked at it, smiling as he beheld the license number of the Mercedes. His eyes followed the car down the street and he smiled once, revealing crooked teeth, before turning away and heading back towards the main thoroughfare...

The car ride back was typical in all respects. Eun Jin lounged on her side of the backseat, her eyes closed in near-slumber while Jung Woo talked incessantly on his cell phone, arguing with someone or another while the Mercedes headed on towards Eun Jin's house.

"....and tell him that I don't care if he's got someone else scheduled for the opening act...she deserves it," loudly spoke Jung Woo as he raised the flip Samsung cell phone to his ear. "What!? Hey you listen to me...I built your career...hello? Hello? Ahhh crap..." He immediately began punching more buttons on his cell keypad.

To his left, Eun Jin suddenly opened her eyes to gaze over at Jung Woo. "What's the matter?" she asked as she sat up, rubbing sleep out of her eyes.

Her manager sighed as he clipped his phone closed and placed it back into his jacket pocket. "The executives just called and told me that you've been taken off of the opening act for tomorrow's concert," groaned the tall man as he leaned back against the leather seat. "They have someone else doing it."

Eun Jin's eyes narrowed in curiosity. "Who'd they get to do it?"

Her manager snorted in contempt as he closed his eyes. "Some Japannese pop star named Hamasaki Ayumi or something like that. Anyways, you're up for second act."

Eun Jin smiled. "I don't mind being the second act," she chirped as she looked over at her manager. "I'm not the only performer in South Dalanian you know."

"Right...right...I know," grinned her manager as he opened his eyes. "But I'm just trying to do the best for you."

Eun Jin only shook her head and kissed him quickly on the cheek. "You're doing all you can, its me who should be thankful for your managing and your administrative talents." Jung Woo only snorted in mock contempt, shooting her a grin as he leaned back once more.

The car pulled to a halt in front of a modest two-story house; quite well-off considering the general expense of land in Seoul. Opening his door, the driver stepped out to open hers, but Eun Jin opened it herself, climbing out into the street. "Thanks, but I've got it," she said with a bright smile as she began walking towards her front door. Turning, the young pop star offered a wave to her manager who smiled and waved back before the car turned away down the street.

Once inside, the young pop star tossed her gym bag and keys onto the kitchen table before heading upstairs. The house was laid out in a typical Western fashion and one of the perks of the house was the large master bedroom with attached bathroom.

Moving into the bathroom, she turned on the taps for the bathtub, adjusting them until she found the right temperature. Putting in the stopper, she watched as the tub began to fill up. Heading into the next room, she began to peel her workout top over her head when the phone rang.

Pulling the tank top back down, Eun Jin crossed over to the end table, picking up the cordless phone from the cradle. "Hello?"

"Eun Jin? It's Jung Woo again," rang the tired-sounding voice from the phone. "I just got off the phone with the studio executives and--"

Eun Jin laughed. "Hey boss, I've got a bath going, but I'll call you back as soon as I'm done, okay?"

The voice sighed deeply. "All right, all right. Enjoy your bath. I'll call back in a while." There was a click and Eun Jin hung up the phone.

Turning around, she went back to the business of undressing and was about to remove her tank top, when the phone rang once more. A look of annoyance on her face, she picked up the phone, saying, "Jung Woo...I told you I'd call back in--"

There was no voice on the other end. Only the sound of heavy breathing.

"Hello?" spoke Eun Jin, a confused look on her face. "Hello?" With a disgusted look, she hit the "end" button on the phone, slamming it back down into its cradle. Turning back around, she finally managed to get the tank top over her head, leaving her clad in her workout pants and her sports bra. Reaching behind her back, she began pulling at that while moving towards the bathroom...

Some thirty minutes later clad in a white terrycloth robe, the young pop star sat down at her desk and began the task of answering some of her fan mail. Some of the letters were amusing, others were simply annoying. Marraige proposals, dirty letters, erotic stories...these seemed to come with no end.

A few seconds later, her cell phone rang. Picking up the Sony Ericsson from the desk, she smiled as she saw the name "Jung Woo" pop up. Hitting the "talk" button, she asked, "What's up boss?"

"Same old, same old," came the voice on the other end. "Just working to find you another gig."

She laughed. "Thanks." Suddenly a thought crossed her mind. With a confused look, she asked into the phone, "Did you call me about thirty minutes ago?"

"Yeah I did...but you said you were taking a bath," came Jung Woo's confused voice.

"No I meant like right after you called me...did you call me again?"

There was a moment of silence. "No...I didnt," came Jung Woo's uncertain voice from the phone. "Eun Jin...are you---"

"I'm fine," shot Eun Jin as she hung up the phone. A frightened look came over her face and she stared down at her fan mail, confused and more than a little scared.

TAG for future posting

OOC: Everyone can join, right?

Klaus leaned back at his desk, listening to the high-pitched korean vocals and heavy beat flow out of the CD player.

"this is good stuff. this'll sell. kids today, they get tired of wagner 24/7."

the other executives nod.

"I want this girl on the label. failing that, I want distribution rights."

OOC: Anyone can post comments or feedback however I'd prefer experienced RP'ers only to help tell parts of the story. And anyone who's going to RP, try and stick to the formula introduced; please don't bring in billions upon billions of characters. Thanks a lot guys :D

Oh yeah, this is also more of an interactive story than a strict RP style format, so longer posts are preferred. So you can use all characters in your writings....just try and make them consistent with the previous ones.

IC:

Across the city from Eun Jin's home, Park Jung Woo reclined in a Swedish-imported office chair inside his workspace. Located in the heart of the DaeJung Entertainment Corporation headquarters, the spacious office occupied a corner section of the building and contained several couches, a computer desk, and enough telephones to overwhelm the power grids of most major cities. The walls were decorated with autographed posters of various stars that Jung Woo had managed as well as limited-edition promotion/tour posters released by DaeJung prior to concerts in various countries. Currently Jung Woo had over several dozen of these limited edition posters, dating from nations such as _Taiwan, Japann, Xiaguo, East Islandia, and several European nations.

The silence was broken by the sound of a cell phone jingle. Atop his three thousand dollar oak computer desk, his Samsung cell began rotating, the cell jingle taking on the sound of Eun Jin's "ID; Peace B" as the little phone vibrated back and forth. Leaning forward, the tall manager snapped up the small phone, flipping it open to speak into it. "Park Jung Woo...what can I do for you?"

*two minutes later*

"You want me to get her ready for another tour!?" shouted Jung Woo, leaning back as far as he could go in the chair without falling over. "But we haven't even finished the gigs here in South Dalania."

"Those have been put on hold," came the flat voice of the studio executive. "This is more important."

Jung Woo sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Sliding over to his computer, he called up his word processor. Balancing the phone between his ear and his shoulder, he groaned, "All right, give me the countries we'll be touring."

"We don't know exactly yet," came the reply. "But so far we have _Taiwan, East Islandia, Hudecia, and....Kilean."

The chair fell over with a bang, taking Jung Woo with it. Scrambling to retrieve the cell, Jung Woo practically shouted into the phone, "Kilean!? You finally got us a non-Asian event?"

"Correct," spoke the faceless executive on the end. "We've split a deal with a Kilean record executive named Klaus. In return for allowing us to expand into the music market there, we give him distribution rights to Eun Jin's work in his regional markets. It doesn't matter to us since we have no regional subsidiary there anyway."

"And what's Eun Jin's percentage cut of this whole deal?" asked Jung Woo with a sly look in his eye. "Cause you know I'm not going to let her do this if the deal is too---"

"You and Eun Jin will receive approximately 20% each of the profits gained in this tour. This is more than Eun Jin's previous tours, but we feel that she should be paid more considering she's expanding into other markets as well."

"I'm on it," grinned Jung Woo. "I'll talk to you all later." Hanging up the phone, he wheeled the chair over a large poster of Eun Jin hanging on his wall, a promotion for her 2002 Asian Tour. Smiling he leaned forward until his face was almost touching the mint condition poster. "We're going to make you a star!"

((Good stuff here. Taggishness.))

Klaus smiled. Hasern Entertainment, Gmbh, had landed what was going to be the big new fad. Kpop.

He was almost skipping with joy. Kileanishe music was, for the most part, really really dull. State TV was always pumping military marches and wagner, and the same droning techno just got on people's nerves.

Understandably, foriegn music would be a big hit with anybody wanting to get away from this sort of musical tradition. The problem was, with the war and all, people were tired of politics. People were tired of the afro-pop that soldiers brought back from the African Commonweath beacuse soldiers brought it back.

This stuff, though, this was gold. People were into beat-driven pop in a big way- the afropop had cleared the way for that. This stuff was upbeat, apolitical, and in a language most people couldn't understand at all.

Can't get more escapist than that.

Sitting at his desk, he started flipping through the publicity glossy's. Klaus leaned back, looking pensive. Cute. Really cute. Kileanishe didn't have a word for 'pop idol', did it?

Aah, but he was getting ahead of himself. Now he needed some way to get past all the travel restrictions....

OOC: Intro post

Jack Zhou spun around twice, mouthing the words to his song "Go Back to the Past" while in the background, a girl resembling his ex was engaged in a swordfight of some sort. It was one of the 'creative' music videos he had put together despite some controversy with the staff. He continues to follow his routine, trying hard not to think about the disatrous breakup.

CUT!

"Ok Jack, that was... acceptable." his manager Lee murmured while typing into a laptop. "We...um...should get ready for Eun Jin's tour of Taiwan. Remember, the duet?"
"Ye-ah." Jack said unconfidently "It'll be no problem."

She stood in her dressing room, looking at herself in the mirror as she changed from her street clothes to her stage. Pulling on the silver tank top and adjusting it to give it that "perky" look, she slipped on a short white button up shirt, leaving it open. Combined with the low-rise white jeans she wore, she looked every inch the pop star.

Her smile dimmed a bit as she thought about the future that lay ahead of her. Just an hour ago, Jung Woo had called her with the news that soon her career would be soaring to international heights. She'd reflected on it, wondering if she was ready for the jump outside of Asia.

Her thoughts drifted back to when she was a young child back in the city of Pusan. She'd watched the broadcasting networks play concert after concert and performance after performance, dancing along and wondering each time...could she be one of them?

She laughed lightly. Here she was, one of Asia's biggest stars, and she was stuck wandering down memory lane. Behind her, the door clicked open and the choreographer stepped in, signaling that it was time to go out to the wings of the stage.

The concert had been sold out weeks in advance and the Seoul Olympic Stadium was crammed with over 75,000 screaming fans. The crush of people had actually been so intense that Seoul police had cordoned off the streets for two blocks around the stadium itself. On the steps and at various points inside, armed police officers made sure that any trouble would quickly be dealt with.

The choreographer moved quickly and soon Eun Jin found herself looking out at a stage with 75,000 screaming fans only a few hundred feet away. Currently on stage were four guys; the male pop group D.R.T. Popular among pre-teen girls, they were at this moment finishing their routine. A few more break moves and a final pose and they were done, finishing to a resounding chorus of screams.

Filing off stage, the four passed Eun Jin, smiling as they did. One of them, the group leader Kwong Jae Lee, smiled before tapping her on the shoulder once. "Good luck," he said as he disappeared towards his own dressing room.

As Eun Jin gathered her composure, the announcer's voice came from onstage. "And now, we're proud to present South Dalania's number one female pop star...Lee Eun Jin!!!"

She rushed on stage, smiling and full of energy, her backup dancers right behind her. The excitement in the stadium, already amplified by the concert, virtually exploded with excitement as the young pop star launched into the beginning of her routine. Screams and excited shouts filled the air as the first beats of one of her hit songs.."Amazing Kiss" began to play over the massive speakers set on the stage.

Moving back and forth, her arms moving in precise synchronization with those of her backup dancers, she began singing the start of her song in that girlish voice that had so long enchanted millions of people across Asia.

"Oo ri gyut e da ga on ggoom
eul ij go ship ji ga anh a
geu dae uy ip sool gwa nae
ge jis dun geu mi so
ba ram ups neun bam ha neul a rae
oo ri su ro ham gge ha myun su
sog sag i deus shi gan eul ham gge man deul u ga."

She continued to sing, moving as the crowd loudly cheered her. Jumping into a new set of moves, she quickly pulled them off, causing astonished cheering to come from the crowd. In a few minutes, her song ended and she dashed off stage, smiling and bowing to the crowd as the cheering continued unabated.

Her backup dancers took off whooping for their dressing rooms, but Eun Jin only smiled and ducked into the nearby ladies room. Walking across the cold tile, she bent down, splashing water over her warm face. Once she felt cooled off, she shut the water off and raised her head from the sink, only to catch sight of a dark shape behind her.

"Who--?" she began as she turned around, only to find nothing there. With a confused and slightly frightened look in her eyes, she turned in a circle, looking and finding no one in sight. Rolling her eyes, she turne and walked out of the restroon, closing the door behind her.

Back in the bathroom a stall door slightly shifted ajar...revealing the wiry shape of a dark figure...

"Eun Jin!" shouted a voice from the down the hallway. Turning to see who it was, she smiled in relief as she beheld the familiar figure of Jung Woo walking towards her. Exuberantly she rushed up, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a massive hug.

"All right, go easy on a 40 year old man," grinned Jung Woo as he carefully extracated himself from her limbs. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there for the performance, how'd it go?"

"It went great," smiled the young woman. "I was really energized."

"Let's hope that continues," smiled the manager. "Because your tour begins soon."

The plane flight from South Dalania to Taiwan had taken under three hours. Flying in a private chartered jet, Eun Jin, her manager, and several other members of her entourage had flown south to Taiwan to begin the first leg of the tour.

There were no crowds waiting for her at Taipei's Chiang Kai Shek International Airport, no fans armed with cameras or signs; just one man from DaeJung's Taiwanese subsidiary. The entourage moved quickly through the airport, stopping for nothing. No one even recognized the woman clad in jeans and sweatshirt as the South Dalanian pop sensation, Park Eun Jin.

The chauffeuered limousine outside was nondescript and could have belonged to any VIP. The driver had been paid out of a third party and was not privy to knowing who he was transporting to the classy hotel that stood in downtown Taipei. Everything was being kept a secret in order to avoid a media blowout.

Once inside and underway to the hotel, the group in the back of the limousine relaxed a bit. Eun Jin let down her hair, shaking it out as she leaned back against the polished leather seat. She looked forward to relaxing at the hotel before the hell of her tour would tire her out.

"Yes yes, I didn't forget about the duet. How are you going to pick the language though?!" shouted Jung Woo into his cell phone. "Eun Jin doesn't speak Taiwanese and....oh...I see. Well take care of it." He hung up.

"What was that about?" asked Eun Jin as she rolled her window down, taking in the sounds and sights of Taipei.

"It's about your duet with Jack Zhou," muttered Jung Woo as he looked out his own window. "We have no idea what language it'll be done in...and put that window up...you have no idea who's watching."

Behind the limousine, a white van manuevered for place in the Taipei traffic. Behind the wheel a wiry figure could be seen...with crooked teeth and a sadistic grin.

Jack waited outside the studio door, arriving barely on time to his practice session. With his English skills being absolutely horrible and the duet being sung in English, he needed to brush up quickly.

A voice inside the studio asked him a question.
"Who is this? Is this the postman?"
"No," Jack replied "This is the entertainer."

Lee opened the door. This was their secret signal, something they created a few months back out of boredom. It had stuck unfortunately, giving their friends the impression they were a bit loony.

"Hello Lee."
"Good Morning, get cracking on the lyrics, you need to know them."
"Ye-ah."

Jack went into the rehearsal room while Lee prepared a Karaoke track for him to sing along and practice to. It was crucial that Jack's accent didn't sound too bad, and the only cure was practice.

"My Louve - My Louve - My Louve."
"Uh no Jack. It's my love, not louve."

Lee's cellphone suddenly vibrated intensely. He picked it up, turning the music down as he did.
"She's arrived? Great...Oh, check your emails, I sent you a copy of the lyrics. Of course, it's in English, tell her manager that."

"English? ENGLISH!? Why can't I sing in my own language?" Cries Jack.

"Uh, Jack, hello? News flash buddy o' pal, English is the hottest thing, it's bigger than Jesus." Lee responded.

"他妈的，I swear, I will tell my manager about this!"

Jack left the room in a furious rage. Lee came out and caught up to Jack and told him, "Hey man, what did you say about my grandma?"

"ZOMG Lee :roll: , learn some Chinese and figure out what I just said you asshat!"

"ASSHAT!?"

Lee punches Jack right in the left cheek. At the same time, Jack kicks Lee right in the liver. Both of them staggered back a few steps, looking directly into each other's eyes. A strange Asian Glow started to glow from both warriors.

"Lee, I don't want to hurt you."

"My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father; prepare to die."

"OMGWTF are you talking about dood?"

Lee charges foward to Jack with his fist of fury.

OOC: Could you stop RPing my character and create your own?

Klaus stood in line, again, forms in hand.

"look- she's not a dra-pol spy, really. she's a pop star."

The Internal Security Directorate man gave him a dirty look.

"fill out form 344-b, and report to the special circumstances division."

Klaus sighed. First they make HIM come down here, not willing to speak with anybody but the registered owner of the company and now this....

Oh, well. He'd put up with it. Her videos were already making some waves on Kilean TV.

#tagged for possible future post...

The hotel suite was spacious and luxurious. A large master room furnished with expensive pieces, a large television, and a commanding view of the Taipei skyline branched off to different rooms, each luxurious in its own right. The entertainment in the room was definitely presidential quality and was definitely pricey...although being worth millions helped to offset that.

Jung Woo and the other members of the entourage were staying in a similiar suite two rooms down; in order to save DaeJung Entertainment a few bucks, they were all staying in the same place. So Eun Jin had the place all to herself.

As she collapsed onto the bed, she leaned back staring up at the white ceiling. This was not her first time in Taiwan; she'd been here three times before on various tours and had sung with several Taiwanese pop stars as well as with fellow South Dalanians. However, she was really looking forward to this time in Taipei. The fact that she was also working with Jack Zhou, one of Taiwan's leading pop stars was also interesting to her as she'd never worked with him before. She wondered how it would go...not all of her previous performances in Taiwan had worked out....for instance, the concert staged jointly with F4.

After napping for about three hours, she was awakened by the sound of her cell phone ringing. Reaching over onto the ornate nightstand, she snatched up the Sony Ericsson, talking into it with a half-muffled voice, "Hello?"

"Ahhhh you're awake," came the excited sounding voice of Jung Woo. "Get dressed in something suited for working out; you've got a rehearsal with Jack Zhou down at his label's headquarters in thirty minutes."

"But I don't even know the lyrics yet!" protested Eun Jin. "I mean, my English is pretty good and all, but to learn an entire song in English in thirty minutes!?"

"That's why they call it a rehearsal," chirped her manager cheerfully. "We'll come and get you in about ten minutes...see you then." He hung up with a click.

Eun Jin quietly cursed in Korean as she bolted off the bed, pawing through her luggage as she did so. Throwing clothes left and right, she finally managed to find a t-shirt, track pants, a sports bra, and a pair of athletic shoes. Quickly slipping off her sweatshirt and v-neck shirt, slipping out of her jeans, and unsnapping her regular bra, she began to get dressed, first slipping the sports bra and t-shirt on, then climbing into the track pants. Slipping into her shoes, she laced them up and quickly rushed to the door...just in time for the first knock.

"Oh...you're ready," smiled Jung Woo. "Let's not keep them waiting."

From the hotel, the limousine ride to the Taiwanese company's headquarters was only a few minutes. Pulling up in front of the modern steel and concrete building, Jung Woo groaned as he spotted a crowd of what appeared to be photographers loitering by the building's entrance. A few of them he even knew, he realized with disgust.

He cursed. "The press already got wind of your arrival," he said with a tone of disgust in his voice. "They just couldn't wait for the press release...could they?"

"They never do," smiled Eun Jin. "Well you woke me up, we might as well get on with it!" With a quick movement, the young pop princess flung open the limo's door to the accompaniment of numerous camera flashes. Dashing at full speed, she soon disappeared into the lobby, followed quickly by Jung Woo and her entourage.

The group found a dark-suited Taiwanese man sitting in the lobby. As they approached, he stood up, offering a hand to Jung Woo. "Park Jung Woo? My name is Lu Yuan Zhi and I've been placed at your disposal for the remainder of your stay in Taiwan. Right now I've been asked to take you up to the fourteenth floor...Jack Zhou and his manager are waiting."
Moving quickly over to a bank of glass elevators, the group entered one. A quick push of a button and the elevator began to rise up towards the fourteenth floor.

The doors rolled open and the group of entertainers and executives stepped out. Moving to a door marked "Private" the tall Taiwanese man, quickly opened it. "Mr. Zhou is inside," beckoned the man as he held the door open for the South Dalanians.

Outside the building, a couple of security guards were busy keeping the crowd at bay. Across the street, a white van was parked, the wir figure inside keeping close watch on the building. He cursed when he saw the security....this would make it harder to get inside.

He smiled at the sight of a delivery truck parked on the opposite corner. Apparently delivering recording equipment, the FedEx truck was being emptied by one man in a FedEx uniform who kept going inside with boxes, then coming out for more; completely unharassed by the security guards. The wiry man also noticed that every time the man came out for new boxes, he entered the dark back of the truck....out of sight of the guards.

Reaching to the seat next to him, the wiry man withdrew a brown package. Opening it, revealed the shape of a sashimi knife, the handle wrapped in electrician's tape. Taking the knife, the man slipped it into the waistband of his pants before exiting the van. Moving quickly over to the FedEx truck, he waited until the employee had gone into the truck before climbing inside.

So focused on lifting the heavy box, the FedEx employee never saw the blade that killed him. With a flash, the sashimi knife ripped across the man's windpipe, splattering the truck wall opposite him with a bright crimson spray. Crumpling to the ground, he clutched once at his throat, gargling as the blood pumped out of his severed jugular. Then he spasmed once and was still. As the man gurgled his last few breaths, his killer quietly rolled down the truck's metal door.

A few minutes later, the door rolled open and a FedEx employee exited the truck pushing a handcart with boxes on it. Moving past the security guards, he kept his head low, hiding his face as he moved. Once inside, he smiled...revealing crooked teeth as he pushed the button for the elevators.

"I'm just a fan paying tribute to the hottest star in South Dalania," smiled the wiry man to himself as he waited for the elevator to descend...

Opening the door, Lu frowned as he beheld a room empty of everything but several leather couches. "Ummm....I guess he isn't here yet," smiled Lu with a slightly embarassed look as he stepped backwards. "But please, wait here, I'll go see if I can find him."

After Eun Jin and her people were inside and the door closed behind them, Lu turned to walk towards the administrative offices. There would definitely be hell to pay for this....

An elevator chimed next to him and the doors rolled open to reveal the shape of a man wearing a FedEx uniform. Looking at him with a crooked-grin, the delivery man smiled as he asked Lu, "Pardon me...but where can I find Lee Eun Jin?"

"Third room on the right...wait....you're not supposed to be on this floor," started Lu as he turned for the security phone on the wall. "I'm calling security imme-"

With a quick movement, the wiry man pulled a bloodstained sashimi knife from under his FedEx jersey. Dashing forward, he grabbd the young Chinese by the shoulder, pulling his arm back as he slammed the knife home into the man's side twice. With a shout of pain, the man collapsed forward against the wall, clutching his side with both hands.

"You...you stabbed me!!" stammered the young Chinese as he looked at the blood oozing from between his fingers.

The wiry man tsk-tsked. "You just had to act all heroic," grinned the man as he flipped the knife from hand to hand. "And this is your reward," he said sadistically, raising the knife with one hand....

OOC: _Taiwan, just waiting for your character

Klaus tapped his foot, waiting for the elevator. Lee Eun Jin was up there, and he had finally wrangled permission to travel here to meet her and give her the rundown on the Kilean leg of her tour.

He wondered how she'd react when he told her that her march 17th date was now a devastated hellscape of urban combat surrounded by a chemical wasteland. He'd have to find some sort of upbeat angle on that....

The elevator finally arrived, and Klaus got on. As he arrived on Lee Eun Jin's floor (Ms.lee? Ms.Jin? would she have a blood feud with his family if he pronounced it wrong? how did they do things over here anyways?) Klaus noticed some odd noises in the hallway...

"Ah, Anyang." Jack says in English when he meets Eun Jin. "You look as just as beautiful as your voice."

Lee hands Jack his copy of the lyrics. The instrumental accompaniment was ready and polished. He just hope Jack would be able to grasp the piece as quickly.

Lee offered his hand to Park. "It's a pleasure to meet you."