“Jeongyeon unnie, could you help with me a little something?”

I tapped her shoulder.

“Yeah? Mina, how many times have I reminded you to just call me Jeongyeon already?”

“I’m sorry, still errr…. taking a little time getting used to it, Jeongyeon-un ah.”

She gave a light chuckle.

Her face lit up, although she herself looks a bit flustered by the way she wanted me to call her. My guess was that she also hasn’t grown accustomed to the new way of addressing her.

It feels weird, and it feels out of place, she was always someone who is somewhat an “older figure” to me ever since I got this job. She’s been there to guide me with my job’s responsibilities and my Korean (though I failed to use many of the practical terms she taught me xP).

It was out of habit, maybe some part of me still was reluctant to call her without the honorific, I thought.

“What’s the matter?”

“I umm…have a hard time putting back those files on the higher shelves in the storeroom. I need someone tall, so umm your name came into mind and I, so yeah…”

I could feel my face burning up, burning with embarrassment as I had to ask Jeongyeon for help. I wasn’t exactly the tall type to be honest. My head bowed down automatically to hide my reddened face.

“Alright…. give me a moment here…”

Her eyes followed the cursor closely, she saved the current progress of her work.

“Done! Let’s go.”

…

“Thanks for offering to help me. You’re a great help.”

I said as I continued to step over my imaginary pride of my height inferiority. I cussed at myself for being so butthurt about it even though I was the one who asked for her help. Thankfully, she was Jeongyeon, someone whom I think is patient and kind, or at least I think that she wouldn’t tease me about it. Honestly, she was the only here taller than the rest of the other colleagues.

“Was kind of free anyways, so what do you want me to do, boss?”

I smiled at her simple remark.

“Here, help me put these files according to the sequence of the alphabets. There, they are listed up there.”

“I already arranged the files beforehand so it would be much easier.”

I placed down a box of documents beside her that had different colour post-it on them. I then went back to get more boxes before realising she just stood still and didn’t move. I raised my head up, with my hair all falling on my face, to find her staring intently at me “

I averted the eye contact because of my simple shyness as I said,

“Yes? Anything wrong?’

“Is there something on my face? Like a bug or something?”

I opened my eyes wide as I combed the fallen strands of hair to my ears. Is there possibly something on my face other than my numerous moles? If there is, it would be humiliating. I skimmed my face lightly.

“No, no, no!”

She giggled whilst covering .

“I was just thinking how much attention you pay to small details. It’s a fine quality.”

She pointed at the box and replied while I tilted my head to the side. What does she mean?

“You see, the Post-It(s) and all. It reminded me of the time you took down every word I said when I was briefing the new employees back then. There’s nothing on your face, sweetie.”

My heart skipped a beat. She noticed that back then? It’s the first time someone ever said that about me. I could feel it, my heart thumping madly. It wasn’t an everyday thing where people noticed or observed mini details about you.

“What’s with that face expression? Did I say something bad?”

“No! It’s just that… you’re the first person to tell me that.”

“Oh.”

The last word she said that made the mood suddenly got awkward between us. The silence was ever deafening in the storeroom. It was only the two of us. I wondered if she could the loud thumps from my heart.

“Alright, let’s get back to work. Before that, here you go!”

She tossed a hair-tie to me which I caught it with my palms held together. She pointed at my hair, signalling me to tie it up before we start. How sweet of her to be so considerate. Maybe she was just really someone who observe the people around them all the time?

I must have been out of my mind to think that I was special. I pinched my skin to bring myself back to reality.

…

While I took time to tie my hair, she took off her black blazer to reveal a simple white blouse. The blonde then started reaching out for the shelves with files in her hand.

I immediately turned the other direction. Subconsciously, I could feel my saliva gathered in my mouth. My throat feels dry as I swallowed the accumulated saliva to coat my throat.

Why? I don’t know.

The storeroom was just stuffy and hot without air-conditioning, probably that simple.

…

The stuffiness was getting to me, the storeroom was just small, stuffy and warm. I started to fan myself with the papers in my hand. I was sweaty and uncomfortable. I wonder how Jeongyeon was faring. I feel even more worse asking for her help in this terrible environment if I was already finding this environment most horrible. What’s more worse is that there was still a little more to do.

“Hot?”

She asked and chuckled. I nodded and turned towards her. My jaw couldn’t close after what I saw next.

Her white blouse, now was drenched in sweat, patches of sweat stains were visible. Sweat were literally trickling down her neck as she wiped it away. Super y bad for me, as I turned my head around to gasp silently. Why am I having all these weird and erted thoughts…?

“Yeah, no kidding, I’m sweating buckets.”

A simple, light joke would do, I reckon, to clear my mind and get me to focus back on the test.

I smiled, as I started moving the last box of documents to her. As I went closer, I gasped and quickly turned around once again. Illegal. Offensive. Her black bra was clearly showing from her drenched piece of blouse which was white, which it made more obvious from the colour contrast.

A little lightheaded from the offensive view, but managed to stand well on my two feet. y was the only word that came to my mind. Clearly, I didn’t sign up for this.

“Coffee later? My treat.”

My attempt to change the subject and get those dirty thoughts (image) out of my mind. How in flying penguins was someone able to withstand all that and well, not get ?

“Sure… This goes…here. These goes here. Alright, I’m done!”

“That was fast. Give me a little bit more time.”

“I’ll go the toilet first, I’ll wait for you outside. My armpits are like leaking taps!”

I gave a light chuckle as I started speeding up. Typical Jeongyeon joke, random at times but funny, I thought. The other colleagues don’t seem to find it funny though? Well, at least the jokes appeal to me. You could hear the her exclaim when she was greeted by the blast of the air-conditioning as I giggled to myself once again.

How cute, I thought.

“Wait, wait, wait. Did I just think of her as cute? What the hell, Mina.”

I mumbled and massaged my temple.

Well, .

Well, after that, I treated her to some coffee and we went back to our own work. Nothing happened, just coffee and small talk. Some subtle hints here and there to tell her to wear back her blazer. *coughs*.

Our desks are arranged in a way that made us sit opposite each other, the only think in between us were a partition and the monitors. I found myself stretching often with my arms, to sit up straight. A lousy excuse or reason you call it, to sneak peeks and glances at her, wondering what was she doing.

Sometimes she had a serious expression, sometimes she had a frustrated expression plastered on her face with her frowns and time-to-time sighs. It put me in a good mood, anticipating what expression would she have on her face the next time I wanted to “make light stretches to glance at her” reasoning.

It continued until it was time to get off work. It made me a little guilty, almost making it seemed like a crime to admire her facial features and such.

I finished my work sooner than expected, which clearly made me feel disappointed because I had no reason to stay anymore and observe her. She looks like she’s still not done yet?

An idea then popped into my mind, waiting for to finish work to go home together. Genius.

But what do I do in the meantime? Party pooper.

What do I do now? I thought. I started playing MineSweeper, a dumb game but nonetheless, it made me looked like I was still finishing up my work. Other colleagues come to bid farewell to us, with every time failing not to make me jump and quickly change my screen to a Microsoft Excel sheet. To not make it look obvious, of course.

The mini heart attacks that never failed to make my heart almost jumping out of my chest. What was I being so guilty about? Why am I acting this way? I just hoped that I didn’t look too suspicious.

*click, click, click “

“Mina-ah, you’re not done yet?”

Her voice shook me. I swear I wasn’t about to fall asleep because of the boring game. I looked around to notice that it was only us left.

“Umm, about to finish. You?”

I lied. How embarrassing would it be if she found out I was playing a dumb game.

“Yup, completed. I was thinking…”

“Hmm?”

“Would you like to go off together?”

What? That was supposed to me my line! She took it right out of my mouth. Couldn’t believe my ears when I heard her say those words. A huge surprise all right, all I wanted to was to sit in front of her, watching her a little more before calling it a day.

“Why not? It’s getting late anyways.”

I grinned from ear-to-ear. What is this feeling inside of me? Excited? Happiness? Did I already know that the end-result would be like this? How sly am I, donning a sheep’s mask?

The walk to the bus stop was short but the trip there was full of laughter and chatter. She led me on perfectly with her small jokes which caused me to have a hell of a fun time. The only thing I remembered was that my jaw hurt after laughing so much.

The way she expresses several words, or her tone simply cracked me up. It wasn’t just about the jokes she comes up with, it’s more of how do you put it…the person herself? Hahaha.

She had a proud and satisfied expression on her face, I wonder why?

Funny, kind, and I enjoyed every second of the time we spent together. It seemed like the whole day we’ve been sort of “stuck” together, from morning till the time we said goodbye. She offered to send me home since it was late, but I declined. I couldn’t trouble the latter, and anymore I would have feel even more terrible.

“No, It’s really fine. Really, I can get back home fine.”

I gave a smile to r