Fresh out of surgery, Claire leaned on Jessica Jung for support as he limped toward the hospital window. The sight of the swarming crowd of reporters below gave him a headache.
"Wow, so many reporters! I never got this much attention back in Seoul," Jessica remarked, her voice tinged with envy.
Claire didn't know how to respond. Truthfully, he took some pride in the fact that beautiful women always seemed to flock around him—and he certainly wouldn't mind if they threw themselves at him. But when his gaze landed on Park Ji-sung and his girlfriend, Song Yoon-ah, standing guard at the door like bodyguards, he couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "Ugh, what a mood killer."
What puzzled Claire even more was why Jessica was by his side instead of Lucy Pinder. After all, thanks to his straight-laced manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, Claire had just gained his first-ever rumored girlfriend—courtesy of The Sun.
The tabloid had dedicated an entire spread to the "news," spinning an elaborate tale about Claire and Lucy's relationship. They'd dug up every detail of his life, from childhood to the present, even dredging up a long-forgotten elementary school teacher who claimed he'd always had a talent for singing.
To top it off, they'd framed Megan Fox and Lucy Pinder as the two most important women in his life.
Until you've been publicly dissected by the media, you'd never understand the sheer embarrassment of it all. Claire now dreaded running into anyone he knew—it was social suicide on a massive scale.
"Is your friend shy because we're here? He's been standing by the window forever," Song Yoon-ah asked, eyeing the silent pair in the room.
Park Ji-sung, ever the gossip, pressed his face against the glass door and squinted inside. After a long pause, he finally said, "Lucy's coming soon. Maybe he's just holding back—he's of Asian descent, after all. They're more reserved. After the interview, Jessica can take him home, no problem."
Song Yoon-ah didn't answer immediately. Instead, she tapped away at her phone until a notification chimed. Her eyes widened. "Aigoo! Your friend Claire's song, One Day, just debuted at No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100!"
"Debuted?"
"Yes! Tiffany's flying back to Korea today, but Jessica might delay her return. Don't worry about her."
Park Ji-sung immediately understood the implication. Though he disapproved, he stayed silent—after all, his sponsorship at Manchester United had been secured through S.M. Entertainment's connections.
Just as the two whispered outside, Lucy Pinder arrived in a striking red dress, followed by Claire's agent, Costa Mayol.
The difference between them was stark—
Lucy exuded elegance and grace.
Costa radiated confidence and triumph.
But they shared one thing in common: their sole focus was Claire Lee.
After exchanging greetings with Park Ji-sung, Lucy and Costa entered the room. Lucy's smile faltered for just a second when she spotted Jessica beside Claire, but she quickly composed herself.
"Claire, Cristiano has a BMW promotional shoot and can't make it. Should we start now?"
Costa, however, stayed quiet, simply organizing the interview setup before taking a seat. Jessica, ever the picture of obedience, stood behind him.
"Alright, let's begin. Since Ji-sung's here, he can help out," Claire said. Due to the stitches on his back, he remained standing in a dimly lit corner.
A flood of reporters soon packed the once-spacious room. Lucy efficiently managed the crowd, checking names and maintaining order.
"USA Today, The New York Times, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, NetEase Sports…"
The media list had been carefully curated by Costa. While countless outlets clamored for an interview, Claire refused to overexpose himself—maintaining an air of mystery was crucial.
Costa had even prepared a list of approved questions for the press. Any reporter who stepped out of line would be swiftly cut off.
Claire had no objections. This was standard practice in the entertainment industry.
Still, as cameras and microphones surrounded him, Claire couldn't help but feel a twinge of nervousness. Park Ji-sung, ever the veteran, nudged him and whispered, "Relax, it's not live. We can edit anything out. You're clearly new to this—you should do more interviews. Cristiano just landed another endorsement thanks to you!"
At the mention of Cristiano Ronaldo, Claire rolled his eyes internally. That guy was practically blessed by fate. Despite only scoring one goal against Chelsea, the entire Premier League hailed him as the future of football. And now, riding the wave of Claire's own skyrocketing fame, Cristiano had secured yet another deal—this time, an extended BMW 325i campaign.
Sure, Cristiano had gifted him a BMW 325i as thanks, but Claire couldn't help feeling bitter.
Park Ji-sung's comment, however, lightened the mood in the room. A reporter from The New York Times chuckled, "Claire, don't be jealous. Your song One Day just topped this week's North American music charts and debuted at No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. You might be earning more than his endorsement deals."
Claire sighed. "Well, you might not know this, but with Costa's help, I've set up a charity foundation. All proceeds from this song will go toward helping those in need around the world."
The room fell silent as every reporter studied Claire with newfound respect. Even Lucy and Jessica's eyes shimmered with admiration.
Costa, pleased with the reaction, clapped his hands. "Alright, let's get started. Claire needs to rest and change his bandages soon. He's also got a fitness test with Manchester United tomorrow, so time's tight—let's move quickly."
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