0912.010406

“I’m so sorry for not making it yesterday. It was really unexpec-”

“Yeah, whatever.” The blonde woman was cut-off by the human resource assistant who looked dashing yet intimidating at the same time. “By the way, my name is Ahn Hyejin. The people here call me Hwasa, and we’re the same age so no need for formalities.”

Namjoo was visibly deciphering how Ahn Hyejin became Hwasa.

“No, don’t think about my name too much. There’s no special meaning behind it,” Hwasa interrupted her line of thoughts. “By the way, here’s your desk. Here’s the CEO’s schedule of meetings, your lists of to-dos, files, yada yada yada. Lastly, here’s your ID. Present this whenever you enter the building.” She handed everything all at once. It was a bit too heavy that the blonde woman needed to drop it on her table.

“Wait a second. I work for the CEO?!” Namjoo asked in disbelief, thinking she would work as a secretary in another department.

“Yeah. Everyone here does.” Hwasa stated as a matter-of-factly, even though it wasn’t what the blonde woman meant. “That’s about it. Better check the CEO’s schedule first. Toodles.” She waved goodbye and left the new employee beside her desk.

“Then that means…” Namjoo bit her lip.

“Oh, Namjoo-ssi,” Hayoung greeted, leaning on her office door frame with her arms crossed. “Hello.”

“Hello… boss.” Namjoo bowed awkwardly.

“Aye, don’t call me that,” Hayoung said in distaste. “I’m practically younger than all of you here.”

“Eh?!” Namjoo’s eyes widened in shock. “This day is full of… what even…”

“Surprised?” Hayoung laughed. “I look mature for my age anyway.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Namjoo hastily covered , realizing her slip of tongue.

“It’s alright. I get that a lot.” Hayoung laughed it off. “Can I just call you unnie?”

“Sure…” Namjoo nodded, slowly trying to accept the weird situation. “Then what should I call you?”

“That’s for you to find out.” Hayoung winked. “Better check my schedule.” She eyed the folder on the blonde woman’s desk.

“Ahh, yes.” Namjoo cowered back to her seat and read the schedule. “You have a meeting in one hour.”

“Is that right?” Hayoung threw her keys at her new secretary’s desk. “Can you drive?”

“Yeah,” Namjoo replied. “I just got my license not so long ago.”

“You’ll drive,” Hayoung ordered. “I’ll get ready.”

“Eh?!” Namjoo was scared. It was her first time driving since she got her license so she was still a bit inexperienced. “O-okay…”

“Something wrong?” Hayoung raised an eyebrow.

“No-nothing.” Namjoo masked a smile. “I’ll wait for you here.”

After Hayoung got her bag, the two of them proceeded to the parking lot and went inside the car.

“Before we go to the meeting, there’s a place I want to go first,” Hayoung said.

“We might be running late,” Namjoo said after she glance at her watch.

“It’s fine,” Hayoung replied. “It’s on the way.”

“What’s the place?” Namjoo asked while holding onto the wheel.

“My favorite bakery!” Hayoung said excitedly.

“Bakery?” Namjoo chuckled. “Really?”

“So my secretary here would know where to buy my favorite bread,” she added, patting the shoulder of the blonde woman. “Let’s go. I’ll tell you the directions.”

-----

“So fresh.” Bomi spun around, breathing in the ocean breeze. “I haven’t gotten my vitamin sea in years. Pun intended.” She chuckled.

“Me too.” Chorong replied. It was a good thing she came or else she would have regretted it.

It was bright—full of white and blue. The fluffy clouds scattered along the horizon, forming patches of shapes in all sorts. The two women removed their shoes and walked barefoot on the fine sand.

“Whenever I come here, it feels like the waves of the sea washes my problems away,” said Bomi as she led the path with the older woman following her footsteps. “It’s been a long time since I last went. I guess I waited for my problems to pile up before I came back.”

They walked for several minutes until they reached a mixed color rock formation of brown, grey, and white hidden from the public eye—a seemingly untouched oasis in the beach. Bomi climbed up first and assisted Chorong afterwards. The latter saw something peculiar with the brunette’s foot but she immediately shrugged it off.

The place showed a grand view of the sea. It was a perfect spot for a nice picnic located in a semi-shaded cave. Bomi opened the lunchboxes she bought from the convenience store a while ago.

“Chicken feet for you.” Bomi handed the redhead her lunchbox and chopsticks. “Spicy ramyeon for me. Let’s eat.” The brunette poured hot water into her lunchbox.

Chorong wasn’t mistaken when she saw something on the brunette’s right foot. “A tattoo? You have a tattoo?” she asked before biting on her chicken feet.

“Yeah,” Bomi answered without hesitation. “My wife,” she paused and cleared , “I mean, my late wife and I got couple tattoos before we got married.”

“Oh.” Chorong immediately felt uncomfortable she decided to focus on eating. However, her eyes strayed on the walls of the formation. Written on them were the brunette’s memories with her late wife. There were caricatures and other vandals, like a BM x SY inside a big heart. Among them were the biggest words that stood out on the wall. “Ego semper tecum,” the redhead read out loud.

“I am always with you,” Bomi translated. “It’s Latin.”

“How come only ‘semper tecum’ is written on your foot?” Chorong asked.

“Because the ‘ego’ died with my wife.” Bomi already finished her meal. “The equation is incomplete now.”

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