Let me tell you something about my life - it's boring.

My life's never been really eventful. There have been a few achievements here and there... a few friends along the way... fewer courtships... Basically, I'm just an average nobody - a girl who's bored with my current state.

Sometimes I wish I could have the chance to change my lifestyle. I want to be someone who travels a lot, or parties a lot. Maybe even try extreme sports for once. Anything... just to say that I've done something others don't normally do.

But what the heck.

Here I am, in my first job - an office job. Well, it's not really your tyical office job since I still coordinate with clients... A LOT.

My name is Han Joo Chan. 23 years old. One hundred percent South Korean. I grew up in another country because my parents didn't have enough money to sustain a living here in South Korea. But here I am, back in my old country after my grandparents decided to pay for my college fees.

This is my first job. I'm just a junior staff but the pay is quite good, considering how light the workload is (I'm being sarcastic). But I'm actually beginning to like it here now.

After eight months (can you believe it?!), I finally had friends here. Not those officemates I laugh and work with. I had REAL friends.

First was Park Ri Seul from the Marketing division. She's just a year older than me but she really acts like my mom sometimes. She's sort of conservative... and even though some guys here at the resort like her, she just dismisses them. That's because she's now in a 3-year relationship with her college boyfriend, whom I have yet to meet.

Then there's Park Min Yeon. I would have called the both of them the Park sisters, but Min Yeon is just the exact opposite of Ri Seul. She's very bubbly, can make friends with anybody (and I mean anybody! She even had friends in the engineering department!) and she can't seem to really concentrate on her job. We're on the same department, except that she's handling guest rooms.

These two have stuck like glue with me since their first days in their job, and I'm glad that happened too. Imagine having the dilemma of asking different people if they can have lunch with me - goodness that was embarassing. I know it's sort of ridiculous, but even if I don't really like mingling with a lot if people, I don't like being alone too.

Oh, I forgot! There's also Huo Min Zhe! Can you believe that he's only 19?! He used to be a trainee here - a culinary arts student who requested to be assigned to different departments. He spent a few weeks in our office and a good amount of time in the human resources department, where he was offered a job as an assistant while waiting for his graduation. I keep on advising him to take another course - one that'sa college degree and would not just give him a certificate for a 6-month culinary course. He has so much potential, given his personality and initiative to learn and all. Did I mention we call each other bestfriends? Yeah, that's right. It started as a joke, but blossomed into a real friendship now. Although I still have my suspicions that he's gay...

By the way, I forgot to mention where we all work.

 

 

Welcome to Sage Valley, the only resort hotel in Seoul.

 

This 630-room hotel is one of the well-known hotels in Seoul, and all of South Korea for that matter.

Me? I'm just one of hundreds of employees. I work in the Sales and Marketing Department, and I sell event halls.

 

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"Everyone, I'd like you to meet our new account manager, Ms. Song. She's recently moved in from China, but she's learning how to speak our language now. If you ask me, she's doing a very good job with it," our manager smiled as she went inside our office with a rather tall and pretty lady in a dark blue suit. "I hope you all treat her well and make her feel welcome."

The pretty lady gave a shy smile and bowed. Everyone was introduced and greeted her before she was led to my desk and sat on the empty chair beside mine.

"Channie-ah," our manager said. "I'd like you to teach Ms. Song the basics of our job, and tour her around if you have time." I nodded and gave a small smile to Ms. Song.

"Annyeonghaseyo. I'm Han Joo Chan, the junior banquets account manager for Sage Valley Resort." I bowed and extended a hand to greet her. She seemed to be surprised by my sudden movement - something that's not typical of Asians. Well, I'm an Asian of course, but I grew accustomed to giving handshakes to acquaintances as I've spent my entire childhood in the Philippines.

After a few introductions and basics on the functions of our office, I toured her around the resort... well, mainly the event halls as that's what's our main concern is. I found out that Qian is pure Chinese, and I find her courage to work in a place she barely knew impressive - she moved in on her own, walked in at the hotel to apply for a job in the Human Resources Department and was offered a position in Sales and Marketing - an achievement if you are in the hotel industry. Plus, she only learnt to speak our language a few months ago, and she's now very good in speaking it.

"Here we have the poolside tent hall," I motioned to a large tent hall just a few steps away from one of the public pools. "This one can hold up to 2,000 guests.

Qian's eyes went wide. Apparently, this is her first time to see event halls.

"Wow," she said as we took a peek inside. "You know, I've been to a lot of hotels, but this is the first time I actually explored one. You can't really have time to explore places in my previous job."

"What was you job before?"

"I was a flight attendant back in China."

I smiled. "That explains it."

 A tall guy in a white long-sleeved polo and black vest approached us, followed by other guys in emerald green uniform.

"Hi Kyuhyun-sshi," I waved.

Kyuhyun gave me a salute and looked at the girl beside me.

"Oh, this Song Qian," I said."Qian, this is Cho Kyuhyun. He's one of the supervisors in charge of banquets. We'll be working very closely with him."

Kyuhyun bowed, never taking his eyes off Qian. I raised my eyebrows - he's not usually like this.

"Just call me Kyu."

"Okay, Kyu," Qian replied. I smell a relationship brewing here...

 

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"Hey pretty."

I rolled my eyes as I looked up at the person beside me.

"Come sit with me," he said, motioning at a table where some of the kitchen staff were having lunch.

"No thanks. I've got my own company."

"Come on. You never sit with me during lunch," he pouted.

"What? I thought we've both graduated in high school? Why do I feel like I'm inside a high school cafeteria all of a sudden?" I said sarcastically.

"Channie-ah!"

"Hyukjae-sshi!"

Hyukjae pouted. "Aish. I told you to call me oppa."

"You're not my brother." I stuck my tongue out at him.

"You know that's not what I meant."

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes and placed some vegetable rolls in my tray before going to our table. There, Min Yeon, Ri Seul and Qian are already sitting and chatting.

"Where's Min Zhe?" I asked.

Ri Seul answered, "He said he's busy and can't make it to lunch with us."

I turned to Qian and said, "You'll like him. He's Chinese too."

Qian smiled and pretended to heave out a sigh of relief.

Min Yeon looked at me with a teasing smlie. "What was that about?"

"What's what?" I answered back with a question.

"Lee Hyukjae! He talked to you again."

"So?"

"So!" Ri Seul butted in. "What did he say?"

"Nothing!" I sat down. "He just wants me to sit with him."

Min Yeon burst into  fit of giggles. "You're so stupid for saying no to a guy as hot as that!" She pointed to Hyukjae with her lips.

"And why not? That table's full of chefs who can't get their hands off girls' !"

Ri Seul choked on her kimbap. "Channie-ah!" She then looked at Qian. "Sorry, she's just that much of a liberal thinker."

Qian smiled. "It's alright. Who's this Lee Hyukjae by the way?"

"He's just some assigned at the banquets kitchen," I said before I ate my salad.

"Does everyone here have something to do with banquets? All the people I met are either from banquets service or the kitchen," said Qian.

"Oh, you'll be meeting a lot more!" Ri Seul exclaimed, and we all laughed.

People might think that working in a five star-deluxe hotel is all about glamor and stress. Well, yeah, it's mostly that, but here it's like one big community of people with very different personalities... sometimes even too different to be put in the same work area.

Just as we were heading out of the cafeteria after lunch, Kyuhyun and his staff walked in. I smiled at him, but my eyes were quickly transfixed to the man behind him. He met my gaze and I felt my stomach turning upside down with excitement. Who is that guy?

I stopped in my tracks, causing Min Yeon to run into my back, which, in turn, caused me to drop the blue purse I was holding. I bent down to reach for it but a slender hand beat me to it. I looked up in surprise to see that man's face so close to mine as he handed me my purse. It felt as if my world stopped... everything was in slow motion... the butterflies in my stomach seem to grow some more.

"T-thank you."

"No problem," he winked at me.

"Hey Donghae, we'll be sitting over there," Kyuhyun told him. He hurried to the counter to get his food, and I was dragged outside to head back to our office.

Donghae... So that's his name. Well, I guess my life won't be boring anymore.

 

 

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Before any of you react - that picture is of Lotte Jeju.  (credits to panoramio.com!)

Sage Valley is fictional, and I'm not really sure if there are even resort hotels in Seoul. But since this is fiction, just imagine there is.