unheard conversations about aj & oliver

claudia o'reilly, m.d. (36) / older sister
michael o'reilly (36) / brother-in-law
@ new york city

"Who sent the box?"

Claudia spared a quick look to the opened package sitting on the dining table before answering. "Adette. She was in Mumbai."

"The life of an actor," Mike said, whistling in appreciation as he rifled through the gifts his sister-in-law had sent from her travels. "Where's she now? Can we request things?" He joked.

"Atlanta, she's gone to see Oliver. Your options are peaches or sweet tea."

"They're serious, huh. Can't believe she's dating Oliver Cobb. That's kind of crazy," Mike mused. He'd never fully comprehended how popular of an actress his sister-in-law actually was in South Korea. It was hard to grasp even after he and Claudia watched all of Adette's movies and dramas. "I hope you're not too jealous. You get stuck with me, and she gets your favorite actor."

Claudia laughed, throwing a wadded up paper towel at his head. "Watch yourself, Michael. I think they are though. We should have dinner with them whenever she remembers to come back to the city."

"Can you keep your cool?" Mike teased again, raising an eyebrow at his wife.

"I swear to God, don't make me come over there," she warned back, making a threatening gesture. "He's good for her, I think. Maybe. Now that the two of them have stopped being so stubborn, at least. She seems happy, or at least she talks about Oliver a lot more than the other guys she's dated in the last few years. She even lets me FaceTime him. It's definitely less of the bullshit she was pulling with poor Glen."

Mike shrugged. His wife's constant concern over her sister's dating life never affected him. Adette rarely brought her boyfriends around, and as far as he was concerned, she was a grown adult who could handle her own affairs. Mistakes and all.

Claudia, on the other hand, fretted over her younger sister, wondering if she'd ever recover, if Adette would ever let herself be happy again. Claudia continued, "I don't want her to withdraw even more. It's unhealthy, and she refuses to recognize the amount of damage she's doing to herself. I don't know. I can't help but worry. You know how she is; Adette never does what's best for herself. She's so misguided. I think Seoul was bad for her. She should've never gone."

"Well, if she's happy, she's happy now, right? You can't parent her, Claud. You can't protect her from herself," Mike said patiently, repeating words with which he often used to console his wife. "Let's just invite her and Oliver over, we'll get to know him, you'll fawn all over him before you remember he's your sister's boyfriend and someone you actually know now. We'll take down all of your Oliver Cobb posters from the bedroom walls before he gets here. Then you'll know whether or not this is good for her and you can relax."

melinda finch (42) / publicist at b|w|r
rebecca murray (34) / publicist at b|w|r
@ los angeles

"HAH! I CALLED IT," Melinda crowed, throwing her open palm out to her very pained coworker as the younger woman handed her twenty dollars. "Yeaaah! Pay up. I told you there was something going on between them."

"Yeah, yeah, Mellie, stop rubbing it in," Rebecca answered, rolling her eyes. "I swear to God, it seemed like he and Ione James would get back together."

Melinda continued to smirk, patting the other woman on the shoulder in mock consolation. "You only saw what you wanted to see. Plus you must've missed the song on the radio, but they're 'never ever getting back together.' Adette and Oliver? Showing up at events together since last March. Good friends my ass. I told Adette, I told her to tell me over and over the truth but that sneaky little thing kept swearing up and down there was nothing going on. She still claims they only started dating recently as if it matters to me when she started dating someone. I don't give a shit. Just let me do my job."

"Maybe they weren't together then," Rebecca said stubbornly, feeling every cent of the sudden loss. "Maybe she wasn't lying."

"Please," Melinda scoffed, waving off the idea. "If you'd seen them at these events, not even just their premieres, there were a bunch of charity events they went to --" she used obnoxious air quotes, "-- 'not together' but then I never saw them apart. Have you ever seen Adette lie before? Because she's a really shitty liar."

"So what, does she want you to call paparazzi now? Get some publicity out of this? Why now?"

Melinda laughed heartily. "Don't say that too loudly, I can hear her from here having a panic attack at the mere suggestion. Do you know how many times I've told her it was a great opportunity? She could expand her brand better by publicly associating with him. They've both got so much momentum right now - her in Asia, that show of hers? Blowing up like crazy. And he's obvious. Anyway, preaching to the choir." Melinda shrugged carelessly. "She said she was worried about Coachella since they'll be there together and with the Korean government is pushing her and Epik High as ambassadors of Korean pop culture to the US... 'Just in case,' I guess."

Rebecca shook her head disbelievingly. "Now she wants our help. Actors. They're so fickle."

kim jiyeah, (20) / fan
soh yuna (21) / fan
@ seoul

No one is more handsome that Song Joongki. Didn't you see those pictures Song Jieun posted on Instagram? They're so perfect for each other. Plus, Jieun is so known for dating her costars. There's no way nothing happened between them while they were filming last year.
jiyeah
Except Oliver Cobb was in Seoul last summer and everyone saw him leaving her apartment. They're kind of weird and random, but I think they make a very cute couple. Song Joongki looks too much like a little kid sometimes. And he's way too young for her. Noona-dongsaeng is sooo played out. Oliver's at least the same age.
yuna
You're crazy. Song-Song couple's chemistry on DOTS is insane. Jieun even admitted that Joongki oppa's delivery made her swoon. They're definitely dating now, she couldn't stop gushing over him at their Hong Kong event. Oliver Cobb is either just a friend or an ex-boyfriend, maybe. There's no way they're together.
jiyeah
There's literally been nothing about Song-Song that gives the impression that they're dating. She had a dinner with him once in New York, that's it, and they already clarified that they were catching up after filming ended.
yuna
And when was the last time Jieun was seen with Oliver?
jiyeah
Well --
yuna
Exactly! See! It's totally possible they broke up and she started dating Joongki.
jiyeah
She's just really private!
yuna
I can't believe you're not team Song-Song. Didn't we watch the same drama?!
jiyeah
Yeah, but unlike you, I can separate real life from fiction.
yuna
Oliver Cobb dating a Korean celebrity is basically fiction.
jiyeah