“Rachel Kim from Girls Forever?” Song Geonwu smiles and bows in greeting. Wow. He looks exactly like he does on-screen. Tall and built with a lopsided grin and a distinctive beauty mark just below his right eye. He smells like citrus cologne. He’s wearing a sleek black suit with a cream-colored shirt underneath. “Great to finally meet you,” he says while keeping his teeth together in a megawatt smile. I realize Maxwell is already snapping away, and quickly turn my lips up into a smile as well. When Maxwell takes a break to check his camera’s digital screen, Geonwu continues more naturally, “I’ve heard great things.”

He has? From who? I’m sure Mina wasn’t talking me up. Could it have been Jason?

“You all look perfect!” Maxwell calls out. “Can you get a little closer for these next shots?”

Jason and Geonwu both take a step in, and Geonwu puts his arm around my waist while Jason slings his arm over my shoulder. Out of the corner of my eye, I see my groupmates waiting for me so we can all go into the party together. Not just waiting. Watching, Mina’s eyes narrowing the longer I spend between the two male leads of her movie.

As soon as Maxwell finishes up with his photo spree, I wave goodbye to Jason and Geonwu and rush to go join the girls. “Thanks for waiting,” I say.

There’s an obvious shift in energy. Mina, who couldn’t stop chattering and beaming the whole way here, is fuming now. Even Lizzie and Eunji are shooting me dirty looks.

“Really, Rachel, you have to steal my thunder tonight of all nights?” Mina mutters under her breath as we head toward the screening room. Her glance darts off to the side, and I follow her gaze to find Mr. Choo waiting in line for the men’s room, arms crossed, a severe expression on his face. Oh no. Did he catch my spontaneous photo op just now? I know how much tonight means to Mina. And how important it is that she be the one the media reports on tomorrow—not just for her own pride, but also so that her father will take her acting dream seriously.

“No, Mina, I’m sorry,” I say earnestly. “You’re totally the star tonight. It’s just Maxwell is a photographer I met in Paris, and—”

“Paris, again?” Lizzie rolls her eyes. “We get it, Rachel. You went to Paris. You met cool people. You don’t have to bring it up every chance you get.”