Friday comes almost in a blink of an eye. How does that even happen? It’s weird how the universe works when the least thing you anticipated tends to happen way faster than when you anticipate it. And in this case, the dinner date with the ever so persistent Eric.

Really, there is nothing wrong with him but the fact that this guy won’t admit defeat in winning my heart. Tonight, I supposed to put a stop to it because right now I’m engaged to someone and I don’t want to keep leading him on, acting as if I would return his feelings and all. So, the plan was to have dinner with him. He informed me earlier this morning that I should wear something a little formal than usual. “Elegant.” Was the word he used.

He’s generous enough to let me prepare at home after work and then he’ll fetch me later around seven-thirty p.m. He really looks so excited even though this won’t be the first time I agreed to come to his dinner invitation. At some point, I do feel kind of bad because here I was going to tell him that I’m taken and he needs to stop pursuing me any further.

“Miss Kim, there’s a bouquet of flowers from Mr. Nam.” My assistant, Jisoo, informed me as she put the flower bouquet on top of the empty space on my desk.

I let out a tired sigh knowing who did it.

Jisoo though, looks at my expression and gives me a knowing smile. Looks like after working here for almost a month, she got the idea of what’s happening between Eric and me. It’s too easy to tell anyway, Eric was very public about liking me that even the CEO might also know that he likes me. But as much as people knew him, they also know how many times I’ve told that man that I’m not interested in going out with him.

“He wants me to tell you that you look pretty today.” I fight the urge to roll my eyes.

“Right, thank you.”

“He looks way more smiley today. I guess it does have something to do with you, Miss Kim.” I looked away from my monitor to look at Jisoo, raising an eyebrow. “Oh, not that I want to meddle in. It’s just the past few days he also seemed happier? I was just glad if you’re the reason. He seems to like you a lot, Miss Kim.” She finished with a tight smile on her lips.

I ran a hand through my hair, sighing. “Well, I’m glad if he’s happy but if you think I like him back just as much then you’re wrong. He’s always been that way with me, so it’s nothing new. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I still need to finish this and I believe you should go back to your desk too.”

The young girl apologized for what she said and I brushed her off because it’s not like it’s violating any of the rules in the office. She then bows and excused herself out. I take a small look at the bouquet of flowers sitting on my desk. They’re variations of roses. It’s beautiful, I’d give it that. But too bad though. I don’t like roses.

I was trying to focus on the task I’m currently doing before having to go to a restaurant for a meeting. All the while, I’m also trying to not grab my phone and text Byulyi. My hands are itching and my ears been missing her voice too. The problem is I know that Byulyi was currently busy. Her last text was this early morning that says,

“Good morning, baby. Did you sleep well? Don’t forget to eat breakfast, okay! I’ll call you when I’m done. Until then, I won’t have my phone with me so please bear a little longer. I love you!”

Byulyi told me the other night that she was going to meet someone from one of the five-star rating restaurant. She says something about it being a great opportunity and she couldn’t miss it. I was really happy for her but still, not getting an update when it’s almost lunch time is starting to kill me slowly. How do I survive this Byulyi-less dread? I let out a long sigh, grabbing my phone on my desk just to put it upside down—hopefully, this way I will have less urge to check it.

An hour later, only thirty minutes before lunch break start and still no update from Byulyi.

I decided to leave her a voice message and then proceed to head to the restaurant to meet one of the new partners for the company. Jisoo tags along as well since she’s my assistant and all; and Minhyuk because he was the one who initiate partnership with this client. The ride was normal, I guess. Mainly because all the way from the company to the restaurant, I was telling myself that everything will go smoothly. That I’m going to nail this meeting like I did in my previous meetings. For the next hour, I will have to stop thinking about Byulyi and be a professional. It’s so easy for Byulyi to invade my mind and make me lose concentration.

I was so close to not think about Byulyi when Minhyuk ruin it with his damn curiosity.

“So, how’s Byulyi-ssi? I mean, I haven’t got any update on that section.”

Narrowing my eyes, I held the urge to punch his arm. Instead, I was kind of suspicious that he actually asked about Byulyi. From the moment I told him about me liking Byulyi, he never asks anything about her. But now that they’ve met that time on Christmas Eve, he constantly wants me to update him on ‘the progress’. Well, I told him we’re engaged but haven’t told him that Byulyi was back to London for a few more months.

“She’s in the UK right now.” That perks his interest, as well as Jisoo’s though she decides to stay silent and subtly listening on me and Minhyuk. “It was only for a few months. No big deal.”

“But, aren’t you guys…” He leaned closer, seemingly noticing how Jisoo is trying to process the whole conversation. “—engaged? It’s just… I thought after you became official, she’ll stay in Korea for good.”

Jisoo looks really interested right now. I guess Minhyuk’s voice is just too loud above a whisper and Jisoo overheard it by accident (or maybe she was seriously paying attention). The young girl noticed my eyes on her and she hastily looking away outside the window. I hope I didn’t scare her though, I’m actually okay if she knows by accident or not. It’s not like I was trying to hide Byulyi from the world.

In the next ten minutes of the car ride, I fill in on Minhyuk on the details and everything. He understood but still think Byulyi should have stayed a little longer with me in Korea. We end the conversation with me promising him that I will have them meet in the future. Besides, I would really like to see Minhyuk and his non-biological twin, Byulyi, meet again. It was fascinating looking at them side-by-side.

Sigh, great. We’re finally at the restaurant and the image is Byulyi won’t leave my mind. I was so close to cursing out loud before stepping in but before I can embarrass myself and offend anyone within a five-feet distance from where I’m standing, I feel my phone vibrates in my hand. The moment I look at the screen, I was smiling and my mood suddenly been lifted up. God, look at how much she affected me by a mere text. It’s almost uncanny, really.

Byulyi dropped me a message that says, “Best luck on your meeting, beautiful! You’ll do great! I’m done, text me back when you’re done. I miss you too!” That’s all it takes for me to step inside the restaurant with a level one hundred confidence equipped.

And like Byulyi said, I did great.

So was Minhyuk and Jisoo. The client was quick to leave the restaurant as they need to attend another meeting after this. They excused themselves and all three of us remain in our respectable seats. I was next to excuse myself while taking my phone with me. Minhyuk gave me a knowing look while Jisoo dipped her head a little as I stepped away, walking towards the small fountain. I dialed Byulyi’s number that she was so quick to pick up at the second ring.

“Someone’s eager~” I teased.

“Good afternoon to you too, princess.” I couldn’t help but giggle at her sweet sarcastic reply. “God, I miss that laugh. I miss you so much, Yong…” I bit my lower lip, trying to not squeal on the phone.

I hold the phone tighter, pressing it more into my ear as I whisper, “I miss you too, baby.”

The phone call went on for about half an hour and I still think it wasn’t long enough. But since I still need to get back to work and it was late enough for Byulyi there, I let her hung up the phone but of course not after a kiss—yeah, well, “phone kiss” has seriously becoming a thing now between us. At this point, we do just about anything to ease the extra longing of each other’s presence.

When I walked back to Jisoo and Minhyuk, they were currently eating. Apparently, Minhyuk have suggested Jisoo to order another serving for the both of them. It was quite unprofessional of him to ask my assistant such thing, but then it’s not like I was any different than him. It was way past lunch break and I was using it to the fullest to talk with my baby on the phone. And as I sat myself down on my respective seat earlier, I also ordered myself a serving.

Minhyuk only shrugs at me while Jisoo eats quietly. “What?” I asked him.

“Nothing~” But then he keeps glancing at my way and I’m so itching to ask what is it that he wanted to say or thinking right now. I look back at him, on time when he’s catching my eyes and noticed the glare.

“Whatever you’re thinking, just say it.”

He gulped down the food in his mouth and started smirking. “Did you do it?”

“Do what?” I narrowed my eyes, what is it that he’s talking about right now. He wasn’t even trying to be subtle when clearly Jisoo is still sitting there with us.

“You know…” My eyebrows start to crease. He shrugs again and pulling out his phone.

And then when he starts holding his phone right in front of his face, I immediately knew what he was talking about. My face starts to heat up in embarrassment the moment he pursed his lips, moving the device closer towards his lips. Jesus, Wendy must have told him about it! God, this is so embarrassing— I was quick to get one of the napkins on the table, make a fist and throw it at his head. It was childish, I admit, but he made it look so weird and embarrassing. It doesn’t help when I heard how Jisoo almost snorted when she looked at Minhyuk.

I swear, this joke will only get worse.

We all went back to the office exactly at three in the afternoon. What’s nice about having a meeting outside of the office is that we can actually chill, especially when it was the only meeting you need to attend. Most of the time it feels like a refreshing for me from looking at the four walls of my office, staring at papers and seeing the same people—not that they bore me out, I just like it when I get to see new people. And of course, I won’t have to deal with Eric who keeps checking on me or stop by my office in his free hours.

I need to see him less because I will see him later tonight at the dinner. It feels like if I had to see him as often as usual and then see him again outside of work, I’d just get sick of him. That would make everything worse. I did intend to stop him and hopefully put an end to it with a good friendship term.

Gosh, that sounded so naïve with what I’m about to do.

But like Byulyi said to me, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to stay friends. Eric is still a nice guy, kind-hearted if I have to be more specific. Never have I actually see him mad though, the guy almost doesn’t have any anger planted inside of him.

I let out a long sigh, looking at the clock mounted on the wall. It was only thirty-minutes before work-hour ends and I get to go home. I was done with everything for the day and just waiting for the last thirty-minutes to pass by when my phone starts to ring the special tone that I set for my one and only fiancée.

I took a second before answering, thinking it’s still way too early where she is.

“Hey, baby. Good morning.” I greeted first, and she responded with a slightly hoarse bed voice. It seriously never failed to get to me and it’s not good that I’m still at the office at the moment. I let her take her time, listening to her yawning and something that sounded like she was stretching.

It seems like she really just opened her eyes. It makes me giddy thinking that the first thing she does when s