The Emancipation Of Ya Hui

YA HUI wants to talk. No, she needs to talk. Tired of being the showbiz equivalent of the middle child, the 30-year old star is ready to take centrestage in her first 8 DAYS cover. She tells all, from her wayward ways in school to getting mistaken for Paige Chua.

- Jasmine Teo

We’ve just chatted for an hour with our cover star, straight after a three-hour shoot at Hotel Mono, a so-minimalist-chic-it-hurts boutique hotel nestled in Chinatown. Just before we part ways, Ya Hui earnestly reiterates — again — to “call me if you need anything else, okay?” Sure, everyone from artistes to business acquaintances say that, but the 30-year-old star looks like she genuinely means it. Flanked by her manager and the crew for today’s shoot, she slinks off for dinner at a Japanese restaurant, looking a tad tentative. Despite our interview with her earlier, she looks as if there are still things left unspoken.

And truly, there are. “Shall we catch up again to continue the interview?” she texts the very next morning.

This is, after all, Ya Hui’s first 8 DAYS cover, which has been 10 years in the making — or should we say, 10 years in the waiting for the 118 star. “I used to wonder when it’d be my turn to be on the cover of 8 DAYS,” she opines. “To be honest, I waited until I decided I would keep calm and let it go. And right after that, this cover came along.” As she says it, it’s difficult to miss that glint in her eye.