“Does it go up here … or go down here? Argh, why is this so difficult?!”

                Sooyoung undoes her tie for the umpteenth time before starting over again. Even though it is a simple skinny tie, the perfectionist in her will not allow any misshapen knot. She brushes her hair out of the way because the more frustrated she is, the hotter it gets in these clothes.

                “Finally!” Sooyoung grins into the mirror and straightens her collar. “I hope I won’t burn up in this outfit.”

                She slips a black vest over her crisp white shirt, then a jacket over that. She checks her black tie again before rolling a lint roller along the legs of her pant. Then, a pair of black stilettos completes her outfit.

                “Alright. Make-up, checked. Perfume, checked. Outfit, checked.” Sooyoung looks at her back then front then back in the mirror before she steps out of the dressing room. She then ascends on a flight of stairs that take her out of the company’s basement and up to the main floor. As soon as she opens the door, she is briefly blinded by the light that floods in through the wall size windows.

                “Hey Sooyoung, you’re finally done. I thought I was going to have to come down there and help you.” Hyoyeon grins at Sooyoung. Currently, she’s leaning back against her office chair and tossing a ball up and down.

                Sooyoung smiles at her co-worker, “You’d enjoy that too much, but you should know that I don’t play with shorties.” She winks right after dodging the ball that was aimed at her head.

                “I’m going to get you and that smart mouth of yours on day.” Hyoyeon crinkles her nose before getting up to retrieve her ball.

                “While I’m sure that you’d like Sooyoung and a lot, you still have a lot of work to finish, Hyo.” Jungah, the attorney and second-in-command, lightly taps Hyoyeon on the shoulder. After Hyoyeon darted back into her cubicle, Jungah turns to Sooyoung, “You should get into the President’s office soon. You know she’s very impatient.” After that short warning, Jungah turns on her heels and goes back into her office.

                Sooyoung flicks Hyoyeon off when she catches the other woman doing a merong at her. Her heels click and clack softly on the polished floor of Skylight Social Services, or Skylight for short. But no one else seems to pay attention to her. They are all typing away on their keyboard.

                “It must be tax season soon.” Sooyoung chuckles softly.

                Here at Skylight, all sorts of services are rendered … correction … all sorts of legal services are rendered, as Jungah would correct people. Sooyoung grins at that thought. It is not easy to explain what sorts of services they do here, since Sooyoung only pays attention to her department, the Companions.

                “Hello, Miss Sooyoung. Please go in, the President has been waiting for you.” The secretary smiles sweetly at her.

                “Thank you.” Sooyoung politely replies and steps up to the door.

                *knock knock knock* Sooyoung lightly raps on the wood.

                “Come in.”

                Sooyoung twists the doorknob and steps into the room. The President’s office is always nice and neat, with a formal feeling to it. A set of reception chairs sits in the middle of the room while the President’s desk is to the far back. The President is currently getting primed and groomed by her team of stylists.

                “You wanted to see me, Kahi-unni?”

                “Have a seat, Sooyoung.” Kahi waves off her stylists and rises from her chair. Soon, she sits in the chair opposite of Sooyoung, “Your perfectionist way took forever in that changing room.”

                “Kahi-unni, you know I like to give our clients a positive impression of Skylight.” Sooyoung smiles and pouts at Kahi, knowing that the older woman is defenseless against her pout.

                “Alright, alright. So how is school going?” Kahi sighs and pours tea into two cups.

                “It’s going well. But I will have to take the entrance exam to the medical university in two months. That’s why I put in my vacation request so I can have two months to study.” Sooyoung gratefully accepts her cup from Kahi.

                “Oh, it’s that time already? It’s already been three years since you’ve started here?” Kahi drops two cubes of sugar into her cup.

                “Yes … Kahi-unni, is there a reason you called me in? I can’t imagine you wanting to reminisce old times.” Sooyoung cuts to the chase.

                “You’re as curt as ever.” Kahi pauses to take a sip from her tea. “You’re right. There is a reason why I wanted to talk to you. You see, you and Yuri are the top two companions in our company.”

                Sooyoung tries not to smile, but a corner of quirks up a little.

                “Since Yuri is currently in the US for her semester abroad, you are our top companion … that is why it puts me in a difficult position to approve your vacation request.” Kahi speaks slowly and carefully while gauging Sooyoung’s expression. “It is not that I do not want you to be able to study, but Yuri is not back for another month. I cannot afford to not have both of you for the month.”

                Sooyoung quietly sips her tea while she listens to Kahi. After her lips clean, she nods. “I understand your position, Kahi-unni. However, you know that the reason I work is to fund my schooling. If I choose work over school, then I would be straying away from my goal.”

                “I understand that, more than anyone else, because I have gone through hard times to reach my goal as well. That’s why I want to compromise, I will approve your request after Yuri gets back. You will have one month to study and one month of actual vacation. All the pay you earn for the month up to Yuri’s return will be doubled.” Kahi leans forward in her seat.

                “Kahi-unni …” Sooyoung starts.

                “In addition, there are two tickets for a hot spring with unlimited buffet. You can use it during your month after the exam, to unwind.” Kahi waggles her brows and smiles sweetly at Sooyoung. Her voice pitches the package quite well, especially the buffet part.

                “Alright … fine. You win, Kahi unni.” Sooyoung sighs and nods, “I’ll go on vacation in a month, after Yuri gets back. But you owe me!”

                “Oh yeah! I still got it!” Kahi claps excitedly before leaning across the coffee table to hug Sooyoung, “Thank you thank you thank you! You don’t know what Jungah would do to me if our highest earning department staggers!”

                “So this isn’t about you not wanting to lose profit, it’s because of Jungah-unni?” Sooyoung awkwardly shies away from the older woman’s attempt to hug her.

                “Of course it is! Jungah is scary when our profits dip and I overspend on company expenses.” Kahi laughs and Sooyoung shakes her head.

                “Kahi-unni, you’re lucky to have Jungah-unni looking out for your best interest.” Sooyoung finishes her tea and rises from her seat. “If that’s all, then I’m going to excuse myself. I have a client to meet in thirty minutes.”

                “Hey, kiddo. Why are you in such a rush? You’re breaking my little old heart.” Kahi shakes her head and walks with Sooyoung to the door.

                “Kahi-unni, stop pouting, a woman your age would get lip wrinkles.” Sooyoung grins and lightly pecks Kahi’s cheek.

                “How can you say that to your elder?” Kahi playfully frowns at Sooyoung before she pulls a silk handkerchief out of her pocket. “Here, this will add a little personality to your outfit. She tucks the handkerchief into Sooyoung’s pocket.

                “Thanks, unni.” Sooyoung giggles when Kahi smacks her and leaves the office.

                On the way down the stairs, she glances at her watch to check the time before she gets to the parking garage.

                “Hmm … which car did I get today?” She walks down the row of company cars, all different and ranged from a comfortable sedan to a high performance luxury sports car. But the sports car is off-limited to everyone, except those with permission from Kahi to drive it. Today, Sooyoung’s car is a sleek black Jaguar XF to match with her outfit.

                The café is a twenty minute drive from Skylight, which puts Sooyoung ten minutes earlier than her appointment. She straightens her jacket and pushes up her sleeves after she hands her keys over to the valet. Her sunglasses shield her eyes as she glances around the establishment.

                “Hi, how many people are in your party?” The hostess chirps.

                “Hi. A table for two, please.”

                “Alright, please follow me.”

                Sooyoung nods and follows the hostess to the table next to the biggest window in the place. She settles down and orders a cup of coffee before she opens the dossier of the client. Her eyes quickly skim through the information while her fingers curl around her cup of coffee.

                “Im Yoona, twenty-one years old. Daughter of Im Joonghyun, the owner of Im Automotives. Requested a tall, attractive woman to accompany her to the Seo-Jung engagement ball. That’s about it, right?” a voice starts to summarize the dossier’s content.

                Sooyoung looks up and closes the file. Standing in front of her is Im Yoona in the flesh. The girl is very pretty, she has the kind of face that is very refreshing to look at. Her doe-like eyes captures the essence of innocence, yet seem to sad at the same time. She compliments her natural beauty with a simple outfit. She wears a white blouse accompanied by pink jeans and a pair of brown leather heels.

                Yuri would like her, is what Sooyoung thought. She is not sure why she is thinking of Yuri at the moment, but she thinks Yuri would appreciate this girl’s beauty. Maybe a bit too much appreciation.

                “Good afternoon, Ms. Im. Please have a seat.” Sooyoung errs on the polite side and actually pulls a chair out for Yoona.

                “Thank you.”

                After scooting Yoona’s seat back in, she waits for the younger girl to order before she starts the business negotiation.

                “My name is Choi Sooyoung, thank you for your interest in Skylight Social Services. I trust that you have reviewed our Companion policy. I am here to answer any questions and fulfill your requests. Should you find me unsuitable, you can request for another Companion.” Sooyoung slides a copy of the contract toward Yoona, who is quietly sipping on her tea.

                “Nice to meet you.” Yoona smiles, but it does not touch her eyes. “I think you will do. And I agree to the policy and terms of the contract.” The client seems disinterested in the details of legality.

                “I am here to answer questions, should you have any later.” Sooyoung points the tip of her pen to certain sections of the contract. “You can read all this on your own, the gist of it is that we are not a ion service. I will not be providing any services of a ual nature. I will not help you commit any crime. I also will not do laundry or clean. I am here to help you prepare for the ball, then accompanying you to it. Please do not feel obligated to explain your reasons for hiring me.”

                Sooyoung exhales after her long spiel and smiles at the quiet and distant Yoona. “I’m sorry to sound so strict, but it is best you know now then later. Now … what character do you wish me to portray at this ball?”

                Yoona sets down her cup and looks up at Sooyoung. Her doe-eyes seem to peer into the older girl’s soul before she lowers her gaze to the steaming surface of the tea. “Anything you see fit.”

                Sooyoung’s brows briefly knit together before she nods. “Alright, I will be a charming student studying International Studies, I just returned home from Japan. For the family background, I will come up with the details later.”

                Yoona nods.

                “What sort of clothes would you like me to wear? A suit? A dress? Or is it a costume ball?” Sooyoung presses on while taking notes.

                “Whichever you think is best.” Yoona replies.

                “Alright …” Sooyoung her lips before leaning forward against the table. She looks unblinkingly at Yoona, “Excuse me, Ms. Im …”

                “Yoona,” the girl cuts Sooyoung off, “you can call me Yoona.”

                “Okay, Yoona.” Sooyoung nods, “may I ask is there anything specific you want me to do? You know … so I can stop throwing out questions.”

                Yoona’s eyes drift up to Sooyoung’s before she looks down again. She shakes her head in reply.

                “So I can wear whatever I want and be whoever I want … I just have to accompany you?” Sooyoung asks carefully, since her clients usually have some sort of term for her to meet.

                “I don’t know.” Yoona’s voice cracks right before wet, heavy tears start to drop onto the white table cloth.

                “Oh no … no no … please don’t cry.” Sooyoung swiftly removes the handkerchief that Kahi gave her and hands it to Yoona.

                “I’m sorry … I don’t even know why I’m doing this.” Yoona cries while shaking her head to refuse the handkerchief.

                Without a choice and other café patrons starting at them, Sooyoung sighs and leans across the table to dab away Yoona’s tears. “Do you want to tell me a bit about the ball?”

                Yoona and Seo Joohyun, the only daughter of the Seo Seafood Export Corporation, have been childhood friends since kindergarten. Their parents were good friends and had Yoona been a boy, she would have been betrothed to Seohyun, as her friends and family call her. But, even as girls, they fell in love with each other.

                Yoona and Seohyun hid it from their friends and family, so everyone thought that they were just good friends. For three years, they were lovers and best friends, until recently. Two months ago, Yoona found out that Seohyun’s parents promised her to the middle son of the Jungs, of Jung Finance. Yoona wanted to run away with Seohyun, but the other girl’s sense of family duty and honor caused them to break up.

                “I see … so you want someone to be your date, to show Seohyun that you have moved on as well? To show her what she’s missing?” Sooyoung nods understandingly. The motives are always pride and jealousy, a common theme in Sooyoung’s line of work. She smiles at Yoona, secretly thinking that the girl like the rest of her clients.

                “I don’t know. I want her to be with me, but I want her to be happy as well. I don’t want her to separate from her family, she loves them very much. I want her to … feel comforted … that I will be okay.” Yoona smiles ruefully.

                 “But you’re not okay …” Sooyoung mutters softly, “you want to give her peace of mind while you suffer?”

                “It’s better me suffer than her. Seohyun is a very special girl. She is strong, but weak at the same time. I can’t ask her to leave her family for me.” Yoona replies with another smile that makes it more heartbreaking than when she cried.

                “But wouldn’t it hurt her to see you move on so quickly? Wouldn’t you cause her to hate you? Then you would be in anguish because the girl you love hates you.” Sooyoung tries to play the devil’s advocate.

                “Maybe … but maybe it will help her move on. Either way, I want to help make her choice easier.”

                Sooyoung is not sure what to say to this younger girl, whose selflessness is more stubbornness and pride that she thinks. “You remind me a little of myself …” the Companion starts, “I will try my best to help your plan succeed, but I feel slightly bothered that I am hired to do a task that would cause my client sadness.”

                “I’ll be alright, I will probably leave Seoul for a while after this ball … omo, it’s so late already?” Yoona looks startled, making her look even more doe-like.

                Sooyoung turns to look out the window, where the sun is setting and the most of the cars in the parking lot have gone home. “Oh …” She looks down at her watch, “we’ve been talking for four hours. It’s already six o’clock.” She idly comments.

                “I have a family dinner to attend, I’m sorry. It’s tradition that we have weekend family dinner!” Yoona says frantically while putting down money for their coffee and tea. “My parents will kill me if I’m late!”

                Sooyoung smiles at the frantic girl. When she is acting like this, she seems less wise and more her age. “Then you should hurry home.” She decides to walk the younger girl to her car.

                Yoona stops by the driver’s door and looks back at Sooyoung, “Thank you for listening to me … it’s like most of the weight have been lifted off my chest. I haven’t had a chance to tell anyone about this …” Her saddened gaze drift off again.

                Feeling slightly sorry for the girl, Sooyoung steps up and hugs her warmly. “It’ll be over soon, so stay strong. Call me if you want to talk, you have my business card. And tomorrow, we are going shopping for out ball outfits.”         

                Yoona hugs Sooyoung back tightly and nods, “Thank you. I will see you tomorrow.” They break the brief hug and smiles at each other.

                Sooyoung nods and opens the door for Yoona, “Please call or text me when you are free tomorrow.”

                “Okay.”

                After Yoona have driven away, Sooyoung wanders back to her car but she can still smell the sweet linger perfume after her hug with Yoona. She thinks to herself that Yuri would like that scent for sure. But then she chastises herself for thinking about that Black Pearl too much. She should be thinking about a certain someone else. Just as she thought that, the memories start flooding back. Her drive home is uneventful, but she is amazed how she managed to get home when all that filled her head were thoughts of a certain someone.

                “Good night Sica …” were the last words she muttered before she fell asleep.

Hello! This is my second fanfic ever, so I apologize for my shaky writing.

This chapter is really long and a bit boring, so if you stuck through it then I thank you a lot!

The later chapters should quicken the pace.

Once again, thanks for reading! Please review :)