TWELVE

Eunji entered the office with takeout bags on her hands. She enters the elevator as employees gave way to her; she responded it with warm smile.

As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she took a deep breath. If she goes on the left hallway, she's heading to her office, if she goes to the right hallway, she's off to Suho's office.

"There's no harm in doing this..." She whispered to herself as she took another deep breath before walking off the hallway.

She can already feel pair of eyes looking at her as she walks but she decided to shrug it off, its past 1:30 and she's too hungry to deal with them.

"Oh it's ma'am Eunji..." She heard one girl whisper to the woman beside her and she recognized the voice, she was one of the girls inside the toilet earlier. She spared them a look before she directly headed to the table of Suho's secretary.

"Hi." She greeted her.

"Oh, hi ma'am Eunji." The secretary bowed to her.

"I believe we haven't been introduced, I am Jung Eunji, you're his secretary right?" Eunji even offered a handshake.

"Yes ma'am, I'm Victoria, nice meeting you." Victoria immediately accepted the handshake.

"Is he inside?" Eunji asked.

"Yes ma'am, he didn't go out for lunch." Victoria replied as she glanced at the take out bags that Eunji has.

"Then can I go in?"

"I'll tele-"

"Nevermind, I'll just enter, I got your back! It was nice meeting you Victoria." Victoria can only have her jaw drop as she look at her make her way to her boss' office... She has always been instructed to never let anyone enter without informing Suho beforehand unless it's his mother and their grandparents, even the arrival of his cousins need to pass by the telecom. She bit her lower lip... It would be alright, right? Since she's his girlfriend... Or not?

Eunji opened the door so carefully even with the bags she had, she even closed it without much noise. When she turned to look at him, she was surprised to see him still concentrated on what he was reading.

"I'm bu-" Suho's words were cut off the moment he lifted his head to see Eunji inside his office. He got confused.

"Hi." She said as she walked towards his couch and settled the take out bags on the center table. She honestly feels shy right now as she knows she's invading privacy.

"What are you...." Suho can't even finish his sentence as his eyes landed on the take out bags... that's when he remembered that he hasn't eaten lunch... And only got coffee for breakfast... Too much for a healthy lifestyle.

"I decided to give a good girlfriend image and brought lunch since I figured you haven't eaten your lunch yet..." Eunji tried to explain.

"How-"

"Okay let's put it this way, I was in the toilet when I heard some employees talking about me not visiting you and you not visiting me and you not eating lunch and such.... And I figured that people in here don’t have any idea about the situation so there... I decided to bring you lunch and get on with the good girlfriend image." Eunji didn't let him finish talking.

"Just put it there, I'll eat after this." Suho replied with a sigh for as if he had a choice.

"I'm not a pushy person but believe me, you'll work faster if you've got something in your stomach." Eunji then took out the plastic lids and started arranging them on the table.

Suho just stared at her. He was about to counter but the aroma of the food that Eunji brought immediately reached his table making his system realize that he actually needs food.

"Mr. Kim, the empire would prefer to have a hardworking yet healthy leader than a leader who gets sick of being too hard working." Eunji continued to talk as she finishes up her arrangement, she can even feel her tummy growl with the sight of the food.

"I'm not sick!" Suho stood up as he walked towards the couch, leaving the unfinished papers.

"Oh yeah?" Eunji mocked as she handed him the chopsticks.

"And you actually got us this for lunch?" Suho asked as he saw the food served on the table. He's aware that it came from a fast food house near the entrance of the empire and he knows a lot of the employees eat there.

"If you're expecting to see those food where the cost could equivalent to a monthly wage well then go find your way there.... And you're welcome." Eunji replied with sarcasm as she took a piece of kimbap.

"But thanks anyways..." Suho then opened then tore the cover of his chopstick and started eating as well. He actually never thought that he was this hungry until the sight of the food.

"You should try their budae, the waitress recommended that earlier.” Eunji said as she pointed at the dish and Suho instantly followed what she said.

They continued eating with random shatters until Eunji remembered something.

“Did you receive the invitation?” Eunji asked.

“Which one?” Suho receives a lot of invitations every day and he couldn’t remember if he had read everything or he just drop them off in one cabinet.

“One from Funtania.” Eunji replied.

“Hmmm?”

“It’s their night pool party and they sent invite.” Eunji furthered explained and it was so obvious that Suho doesn’t give much attention as he just continued eating.

“Can’t you just tell me directly what that thing is all about?” Suho asked with slightly annoyed tone which made Eunji roll her eyes.

“So I received an invite from Funtania and your mom called me last night telling me to pull you over the event.” Eunji finally said with a sigh. Suho’s mom seemed to be so into the media play as one can visible see the improvement of Suho’s name in the media. He wasn’t a goody boy anymore as him, dating and being spotted over places with media thinking it’s a ‘date’ actually made him more of a ‘human’ in front of the people. Not only that, Kim Empire’s been rising as ever in the fashion industry making it be one of the top South Korean Company of the quarter.

“Mom seriously needs to let this die down. I can’t even go to a coffee shop without being photographed with a caption that I’m going to give it to you and such; we’re no celebrity after all.” Suho’s so annoyed by the situation now. He knows that it gives good impact to the company, as him, dating the daughter of a fashion queen means that they seemed to be ‘scheming’ a fashion dynasty in the industry… but he hates it. He can’t even go out peacefully now. If before, he goes out for a meal alone, buy coffee or at least stroll a little without even being noticed, now he can actually feel people following him and camera captures. One doesn’t need to be James Bond to notice paparazzi scare.

“I wanted to say no and such but she said she confirmed our attendance there.”

“Damn.”

And when they thought that it was going to be a nice meal…

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