Miran was waiting for the elevator when her phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and quickly responded, thinking that she might as well get something out of the caller.

“How are you these days, cous?” She asked nonchalantly.

The man on the other side laughed before his tone became dead serious.

“What are you doing in Heechul's Company, moreover editing romance books?” He hissed, seemingly mad about it.

Actually, Choi Jinhyuk was the one person that had seen Miran’s detest from the front row, during his interview with Tiffany Hwang. He could still remember how much Miran wanted to leave before the romance section came up yet he told her to stay and maybe learn from it.

That was a very, very big mistake.

“I believe that my books contain the basic skeleton of a simple yet wonderful love story. It’s all about commitment and the need for each other in both times of joy and sorrow.” Tiffany Hwang started, her sickening white teeth smiling at the audience.

Miran’s nose scrunched in disgust, visible for Jinhyuk yet not for the author herself.

“That may not be enough, though. You need to feel love in order to speak about it. You need experience. If you only write a fairytale, then most of the readers will fantasize about it but not truly understand it. You need to know what you’re writing about.” Jinhyuk explained, the audience swooning over his good looks more than his wise words.

“Women need to fantasize from time to time.” Tiffany joked, the audience laughing with her.

Miran’s disgust was only increasing with the naivety of those who were watching.

“I often tell my younger cousin that she should go out more.” Jinhyuk started, his eyes glazing over Miran, “She’s also here. Miran is a beginner in editing but she’s been evaluated as a promising young editor. If only she will want to become a writer, I’d love to have her write romance.”

The cameras turned towards Miran and her disgruntled face didn’t seem to impress anyone. She tried to smile but it didn’t reach her eyes nor showed her teeth; it was really horrible to have all that attention focused on her.

“I would be more than pleased to help young editors too.” Tiffany announced, thankfully drawing the cameras on her and letting Miran glare at her cousin.

Unfortunately, after the shoot finished, Tiffany was nice enough to offer Miran an internship in her company, one that Miran have applied for before but never got a proper answer.

During a signing event, the unfortunate fight occurred between the two women from a petty reason, really.

A fan remembered Miran’s face from the interview a few months ago and asked Miran,

“What do you think of Hwang sunbaenim’s books? Isn’t it just thrilling?”

Everyone knew in the Choi family that Miran was blunt to the point she would get into fights in school. She could get extremely rude and not understand that she was partially wrong and that was the main reason people stopped asking for her opinion.

“This book is bullocks. Love doesn’t work that way.”  Miran answered, just like she used to in school.

Tiffany blushed in anger and quickly signed the book before turning to Miran.

“That’s your opinion. Please refrain from saying rude remarks about my book. You haven’t even read it.”

“I did.” Miran added, sounding superior from that aspect, “I can’t believe these people are fooled so easily. You haven’t even come up with an original plot but took pieces from here and there. I’m surprised you didn’t name it Romeo and Juliet of the 21^st Century.”

That resulted in Tiffany and Miran fighting in front of Tiffany’s fans, making the headlines of numerous newspapers and TV shows for almost a month.

“You should ask your friend, Tiffany. She made sure I won’t get hired anytime soon.” Miran hissed, taking care to speak softly so no one could hear.

 “It wasn’t my fault. Anyway, who’s your boss?”

“Why? You want to have a short chat with him? Maybe tell him that I am forced to work in romance section because of your stupid mouth?” She added, her voice getting a bit louder.

“Be careful, Miran. I have been working in this business for far longer than you. I know how editors are and I know each and every one.”

“Park Hyungsik.” She responded, just when Hyungsik walked into the hall. He heard his name and waited patiently for the continuation.

“He’s a nice boy, had trailed after me when I was working there. But there’s something you should know and-“

“I seriously don’t care if you two have been friends since birth. This is my job and I definitely don’t need your help again.” She stated firmly before hanging up.

Miran huffed and pressed the button for the elevator again, this time coming really fast. She entered and searched for another number in her contacts list before calling.

Hyungsik stayed back, hidden behind the copy machine with a dumbstruck look on his face. She was talking about him with someone that supposedly knew him. Was that Choi Jinhyuk? That was worrying.

“Finally she arrives!”

Lee Soohyuk was known to be a patient man when he wanted something. Unfortunately, that was not applying to his best friend, who already consumed his patience during high school.

Miran threw him a glare before taking a seat across him. It was very late at night yet that coffee shop was always open for business, especially when Soohyuk would throw a smile here and there and charm everyone.

“Stupid Jinhyuk called me to ask me who my boss is.” She started angrily before asking for her usual Caramel Macchiato.

Soohyuk chuckled as he leaned back, ready for an hour of complaining about her family. He’d lived through enough of it to know she will take approximately 30 minutes before she’ll feel bad about bad mouthing her family and start telling him something else.

“Remember when I told you, back in school, that I liked that girl with long legs from the school in the next neighborhood?” Soohyuk asked, knowing she wouldn’t remember.

Miran raised an eyebrow, clueless.

“Remember I asked you to write me a poem so I could give it to her and instead-“

“Ah~ yes. I gave you a bit of English literature instead.” She remembered, chuckling at the expression he made back then. “It was funny.”

“No, it wasn’t. You could have given me something romantic but instead you gave me something about a man getting abandoned by wealth. Do you know how I felt when she read it in front of me?” He asked, leaning on his knees closer to the table.

“Nothing. It was in old English.” She chuckled, feeling even better when her coffee arrived. “In my defense, that girl was after you for your looks only. I heard her talk to the girls from the classroom next to ours and they were exchanging pictures of you.”

Soohyuk's eyes widened, not aware that something like that happened, yet still he felt offended. She was supposed to help him because he liked that girl and Miran did nothing but sprout dirt over his confession.

“You cared, I get that but so does Jinhyuk. He’s always helped you during tough times and always encouraged you. Back then, he genuinely thought Tiffany can help you improve in certain areas. Jinhyuk, just like you and the rest of your family, has a peculiar way of showing that he cares.” Soohyuk finished his motivational speech and sipped from his Americano.

Miran blinked for a few times, watching her friend with a blank face before she sighed.

“If only I could say that to the author I’m going to meet tomorrow, that would be great.” She mumbled, changing the subject just as Soohyuk anticipated.

“Who will you meet?” He asked, leaning back in the softness of the bright yellow sofa.

“Nam Woohyun. I did some research on him and it seems every book he has ever written made a huge hole into the company’s monetary plans.” She sighed and placed her hands between her legs, fidgeting nervously. “I don’t know what kind of motivation I can give to someone who’s probably in a dump right now.”

“A bit of English literature maybe,” Soohyuk mumbled under his cup, feeling that if she were to hear that, she’d lock him outside. “Be positive. I’m sure he knows he has to change something. He’s an adult.” Soohyuk added loud enough for it to be considered a response.

“Yeah. Well, I doubt that. Romantic writers can enter a world of their own and while writing about love they enter this disillusion of what love actually is about.”

Soohyuk scoffed, “And what is love really about, Miran?” He asked sarcastically.

“Respect and camaraderie. Things that Minho obviously didn’t consider while dreaming about his future.” She grumbled, thinking about her ex-boyfriend.