“Okay, so this is where we seat the paralegals, including the interns. You’ll be seating here with the rest of them.”

Moonbyul pointed at a neat empty table in the open area that seat eight paralegals and two interns, well, three now since Wheein will be joining them starting tomorrow.  

“You should get your laptop, the IT team already prepared one for you. They’re just around the corner and then one of my assistant will brief you on what we were working on. Any questions?”

“Yes. So, since you’ll be mentoring me, don’t you think it’s best if I just stationed inside your office? You know, so that I could learn better?” Wheein looked at Byul with a hopeful look on her face.

“Nope, no special treatment. I already told your dad that I will treat you just like I treat the other intern.”

“Which is... how?”

“Like they dont even exist. Invisible.”

Wheein blanched and looked at Moonbyul incredulously, “Wha... what? But how can we learn anything then?”

“You listen, you watch, you observe. Do you really think that you will get a step by step guidance? Now, go to the IT department and get your laptop. And... I’ll see you around. Maybe.” Moonbyul winked and gave Wheein’s head a gentle hit. “Welcome to the real world, kiddo.”

Moonbyul walked away from the incredulous puppy, whistling as she walked back into her office. Feeling happy since she just served a dose of reality check to the princess.

Her happiness evaporated when she walked into her office and saw Hyejin lounging on her couch.

“So... I’ve been doing some research. Apparently you and the new intern had some sort of history.”

Moonbyul scowled, “Seriously? I thought you said that you have so much work you practically breath legal documents, but you still have time to gossip about me?”

Hyejin tsked, her forefinger dancing and smirked, “Oho, you won’t get away with that tone. And I was not gossiping, I was researching. Different thing.”

Moonbyul rolled her eyes, flopping herself into her work chair, she promptly ignored the busy body. Sometime she just didn’t understand Hyejin and her unhealthy obsession with her love life.

“My sources told me that you used to babysit her when you were interning here and the baby developed a crush on you. I can’t believe you robbed the cradle.”

The platinum haired lawyer cringed, “Who have you been gossiping with? Honestly? Beside, I was not baby sitting, I was tutoring. And yes, she might have a crush on me, but I never encourage her.”

Hyejin laughed at Moonbyul’s obvious discomfort, “Dude, please, what do you call promising to date her when she’s older if not encouraging?”

Moonbyul raked her fingers through her hair and sighed, “She had confidence issues, okay? I was just trying to help. I told her that she is pretty and that if she gets even prettier I would have no choice but to date her. That was it! It was not as scandalous as you think! And oh my god, how could you think that I would date a 13 years old? I was 22 at the time! That’s... that’s....”

“Robbing the cradle? Being a cougar? The May to her December? Sheep Farming?” Hyejin listed with her fingers, all the while grinning at the look on Moonbyul’s face.

The latter put her hand up, “Stop. You’re more annoying than a five years old with a sugar rush.”

“Awww... but it was cute though, honestly. I think she still has a crush on you. It was pretty obvious.” Hyejin grinned and took out her phone, “I need to tell Yongsun about this, she will have a blast when she knew.”

“Leave Yongsun out of this. Beside, you know me. Do you really think that I will be attracted to a kid?”

Hyejin stopped her typing and looked up with a glint on her eyes, “You want to bet on that?”

Moonbyul crumpled a piece of paper and threw it to the younger woman direction, “Get out of here you punk! Go bother someone else.”

Hyejin avoided the paper ball with ease and laughed, “I’ll be careful if I were you, babe. The puppy... she seemed... persistent.”

She stood up then, smoothing her slightly wrinkled dress, “I’ll get out of your hair then.” She glided toward the door, paused and gave Moonbyul a wink, “for now.”

Moonbyul swore under her breath and once again cursed her best friend interest in her life.

***

“So, you’re the new intern.” A pretty young woman with a cat-like feature was sitting on her chair when Wheein got back from the IT department.

Smiling brightly, still hugging her new laptop, she extended her right hand for a handshake, “Hi, Jung Wheein. Nice to meet you, and you are?”

Seulgi glanced at the extended hand and sighed, “Okay, first of all, this is Korea, not America.” She stood up and bowed slightly, “You have to bow, even though the person in front of you is young. Korean greeting 101.”

“Ah, right, sorry. Force of habit. So, should I call you Sunbae-nim as well?”

“For now.”Seulgi smirked and motioned for Wheein to put her laptop down. “I’m Miss Moon’s primary assistant, Seulgi. 2nd year lawyer here and I’am lumped with the rest of the junior lawyers in that room.” She pointed at the room next to the paralegal area and right in front of Moonbyul’s office.  “And... I will be your nanny.”

“Oh wow... you make me sound like a baby.”

Seulgi shrugged, “All interns are babies, they’re only good for helping you file papers and copying some legal documents and that’s it. But you, Miss NYU graduate, you’re not just any other intern.”

“Don’t tell me, I’m special because my father is the founding partner of this law firm?”

Seulgi noted the sarcastic undertone from the new girl and smirked. Gutsy, she liked it.

“Something like that. Okay, ground rules:

Rule number 1. Senior lawyers are always right.

Rule number 2. Be invisible. You would attend meetings if the senior lawyers asked you too. You will take notes. But that’s it. You may not speak. You may not give suggestions. You will only talk if spoken to.

Rule number 3. Even if you think that the senior lawyer is wrong? Remember Rule number 1. Any questions?”

“Be one with the wall and don’t be a smart . Got it.”

Seulgi laughed, “You’re alright, Miss NYU. I like you.”

“Awww, I like you too, Sunbaenim!”

Seulgi chuckled, “You might want to tone down the sarcasm though, you will never know who you will offend just by having a slightly disrespectful tone.”

“Thank you, I’ll try my best. I speak fluent sarcasm, I think my sarcasm is better than my Korean.” Wheein shrugged then grinned at the equally grinning young woman in front of her.  

“Alrighty, let me brief you on what Miss Moon is currently working on. And afterwards, I will introduce you to the other junior lawyers and the paralegals. Warning, some of the other junior lawyers will probably try to intimidate you because they are jealous. But I get the sense you're not easily intimidated."

"Well, being the daughter of the founding father has its perks."

Seulgi grinned, nodding with satisfaction, "That's the right attitude."

Wheein laughed then smiled warmly to her sunbaenim, guess she’ll be making fast friend here.

***

Covering her yawn with her hand, Wheein stirred her third cup of coffee. True to her words, Moonbyul locked herself inside her office and only went out for bathroom breaks or for meetings. Meetings which she didn’t need the interns’ help.

The young blond sighed and took her cup of coffee with her to her dad's office. Knocking softly and then peeking with only her head emerging from behind the door, she gave her father a big smile, "Can I come in?"

Looking up from his document, the fatherly looking man took off his reading glasses and motioned to his favorite daughter to come, "Since when you need permission to come to my office, princess?"

Wheein came in and closed the door behind her, "Since I officially interning here." She sat gingerly on the plush chair in front of her father's desk and sipped her coffee carefully.

"How's your first day going?"

"Well, I just found out how all of you lawyers really treat their intern."

The older man laughed, "By acting like they are invisible."

Wheein nodded and mock glared at her father, "Exactly!" She pouted slightly, “Byulyie unnie practically ignored me the whole day.”

“Well, I could talk to her if you want to.”

“No! No special treatment. We’re working on the same floor, it’s not like she could ignored me forever.”

Her father chuckled, “Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure if I were you. Byul can be quite the ice queen if she wanted to.” The older man then looked at Wheein with a serious expression on his face.

“Wheein-ah, why don’t you just settle down here? Why only interning when you can be an associate lawyer already? You know that me and your mother wish that you could move back to Korea for good.”

Wheein gripped her mug with both hand, relishing the warmth that suffused her cold fingers, “I know, but I’m still not sure what to do in life, Dad. Have you ever felt that way? Like you’re constantly searching for something to anchor you? Well, I’m still in that phase, so I hope that you and mother can be just a little bit patients with me.”

“Alright, alright, but this thing with Byul that you are currently doing... is it also part of searching for your anchor? Do you really want your anchor to be a person?”

“Oh wow, Dad. No. I mean, I do have a crush on her, yes. Will it go somewhere? I don’t know. Maybe. But there’s no way I will ever depend on a person ever again. I’ve learned my lesson.” Wheein shrugged and then smiled brightly when she saw the worried look on her father’s face.

“Aww... Appa, don’t look at me like that. I’m having fun. That’s all.”

The older man sighed, “Would you blame this old man for being worried for his only child? I love Byul like my own daughter, but you ARE my daughter and she got quite the reputation.”

Wheein laughed, “Oh I know, that’s the fun in pursuing her. I desperately need to get laid.”

Old Jung face palmed at his daughter’s answer, “This! This is the reason why I regret sending you to America at such early age. That’s not the way to talk to older people, you little brat. I will send you to the monastery this summer! You will learn manners!” 

Wheein grinned and gave her father a kiss on his chubby cheek, “Said the person who actually took me to a gay bar after I came out. Now, finish whatever it was you were reading before I disturbed you. I have legal documents to copy and plan on how to get Byulyie unnie to notice me.”

“She would be blind if she didn’t notice my pretty daughter.”

Wheein laughed, “Be good and go home on time for dinner with mother, love you Appa.” The young blond gave her father another kiss before exiting the office and walked back to her own corner.

Yep, she definitely has many things to plan.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Author's Note

Thank you for the sweet comments and encouragement! Special shout out to my favorite singaporean singer who commented on the previous chapter, I have no idea where this story is going, because I'm writing without plotting LOL. But yes, I agree that I want them to build a chemistry first and not simply jumping into a relationship and be together, although I cant promised that they wont jump into bed together soon *Oops*. With the way I'm writing it, this story would be a rated M story soon. Sorry kids! 

Anyway, hope its still an enjoyable reading so far. And... Solar... Solar probably going to make an entrance around chapter 5? So, stay tune!