Fainting tends to leave you feeling like you're gonna do it again for quite a while. You feel dizzy and out of it, and the best thing to do is to lie down for a bit to regain your composure. I have rarely fainted in my life because my days are so very uneventful, so I was completely unused to the sensation and found it hard to concentrate on whatever the tall stern-faced lady with her hair pulled into the highest, tightest bun seen to man was saying. She was giving the visiting interns a talk about the company, kind of like a principal gives to eager young teenagers on a high school open day, or as Joohyun had put it. She was kind enough to let me lean against her on the seat, but I still felt weird and a bit uncomfortable about all of this contact with her. I just felt so tired.

'God, this is boring isn't it?'

I lifted my head at the sudden voice in my ear. I looked up at Joohyun, even though I was sure it wasn't her as I didn't hear it in my lef ear where she was. Frowning, I looked to my right and jumped at the stranger suddenly sitting very close to me.

'You'd think they'd get a comedian to give these talks. D'be more fun, wouldn't it?' She continued, now turning to look at me.

I narrowed my eyes as I looked at her. I could still be dreaming but she looked insanely familiar, like she was someone from my dreams. Her gaze was so intoxicating I couldn't pull my eyes away. I felt heated, weird, bubbly as butterflies flew around my stomach. What was wrong with me?

I opened my mouth to talk, but no sound came out.

She smiled a chuckle and gently closed my gaping mouth with her thumb. In that moment I felt there was no one else in the room but me and her.

'You're kinda cute.'

No, you're kinda cute...

The familiar words and the tone echoed in my head. I felt dizzy.

She cocked her head and I noticed her elegant black bob cut as it swayed to the side with her head.

'Do you recognise me?'

I found myself shaking my head like I was under a spell even though I was sure I had seen her somewhere. Her smooth voice, rich like honey as it filled my head, her bright eyes that formed the perfect crescent shape when she smiled.

Why does she look so familiar?

She smiled, satisfied. 'Perfect.'

Suddenly, the room came to life and my mind didn't have time to process her words. My mind couldn't process anything as everything around me was moving and it was all too loud.

The girl suddenly slipped away before I could look at her again and Joohyun was talking in my ear, too loudly.

'Wow, that was so interesting. You know, I really think this company is God-sent from the heavens. Everything is so promising, I can't wait to work here one day! Shall we get some food? Ohh, come on-' she keeps pulling on my ing arm '- we need to join the company tour-'

'Joohyun, STOP!' I suddenly yelled out, swiping away my poor arm. Joohyun stood still, staring at me completely stricken and suddenly I felt bad for yelling when she was doing nothing wrong.

'I'm sorry,' I gasped. 'I just....' I turned and ran out of the room before finishing my sentence. I don't even know what I wanted to say. I just had to get out.

For some reason, I just had to find her.

I ran blindly through corridors, absent-mindedly pushing past people, looking around in a haze. I was slowly regaining my composure as my feet felt like they were on the ground again. I couldn't recognise any of the passing faces and most looked at me curiously as to what I am doing here. I wouldn't be able to answer them.

I got hopelessly lost in the giant building until I spotted some double doors, ajar and slowly moving in the wind. I could see the green flowerbeds between the crack - Park Brands private gardens.

I was not allowed there. I knew it already, the sign clearly stating 'PRIVATE - NO ACCESS TO UNAUTHORISED BEINGS', the tiny voice screaming inside my head to not go. But today had been such a rollarcoaster of a day and I had been running stupidly around a never-ending building for nearly an hour I found I simply couldn't follow the rules anymore.

The ajar door was simply inviting me.

I walked straight towards the doors and slipped through.

I was immediately teleported from a grey, squeaky floored premisis to paradise. The very sound of the wind rustling through trees, the tiny chirps from song birds, the essence and beauty of the brightly coloured flowers, the utter atmosphere of calm. The sky was blue and shining with sun and everywhere I looked was just green, green, green - the greenest green you've ever seen. The fresh, springy grass stretching for yards, the darker coloured, perfectly trimmed hedges, the beautiful sight of a million oxygen looming trees, the splash of colour from the thousand different types of flowers. The perfect view of nature blossoming was a cure for any headache I was just having. It was the most perfect way to clear the mind from the overwhelming bleakness of the building I had just stepped from. To think these two different worlds could be one foot away from each other was mind-blowing.

I could not believe that this piece of heaven was hiding behind an industrial hell.

I started to walk, carefully placing each step as if I could destroy the gentle balance of nature if I stepped down too hard. I gazed in awe around my surroundings; I had never seen anything like this in my life.

I smiled at the animals nestled in this world. The tiny rabbits hopping through the grass blades, the hedgehogs watching me with wary eyes, the squirrels peeking through the tree leaves on the branches. Park Brands was in the ownership of something truly amazing.

It soon came to my attention I could hear singing and I stopped in my tracks. A sweet voice was carrying a beautiful melody somewhere and it was definitely not a bird. The distant, honey-equipped vocals had my full attention as it soared over the notes. It was so beautiful. It sounded like a dream.

I picked up my steps again, following the direction of the voice. It became louder and clearer and I knew I was getting warmer. Finally, I got to the point where I knew it was on the other side of a hegde. I stopped to listen, and it sounded even more beautiful from here. The perfect tune of the voice that was difficult to describe, it filled your ears and head with the sweetest sound. It was so distinct and beautifully vibrated. It was the kind of voice that was so unique, so sweet, so perfect, like it was sculpted delicately by gods. The kind of voice created to sing. I inched forward, peeked my head around the bush and gasped.

It was her.

Knelt in the middle of a circle of rose bushes, her hand outstretched something - on further inspection, it looked like a dog. I found myself staring. Her voice was even more beautiful up close and just had the power to draw you in. It wasn't powerful, it wasn't opera style, but it was full and rich and heavenly and sweet. I felt I could stand there and listen for hours.

I quietly began to bend down to relax on my hunches, but even that movement was too much as the dog suddenly cocked its head and looked at me intently. We held a steady eye contact until I heard the voice wavering and I saw the girl's head starting to turn and I bolted out of sight.

I held my breath behind the hedge, my heart hammering, Here I was, in Park Brands private gardens staring at some girl singing to herself. Of course, I had no knowledge of whether or not she was allowed to be here either, but I didn't want to imagine the consequences if I was caught.

'What is it, Songie?' she asked. 

'Please please please please please please.....' I whispered, praying she wouldn't come to investigate and would assume the dog had simply been staring at a rabbit or something. But then, I heard her footsteps on the dewy grass and I shut my eyes tightly.

'Songie, is someone there?' she whispered, and my eyes flashed open. She sounded scared. Frightened, even. She was having a personal time to herself and her dog in the middle of a huge garden. She might be hiding from someone. Suddenly, I felt bad.

Slowly, I stood up and revealed myself. The dog, Songie, immediately didn't recognise me and tensed with a growl. The girl put a hand on its head to calm it.

'It's you! What are you doing here?' she exclaimed in total surprise. She was so beautiful and had the voice to match.

She was so beautiful.

I tried desperately to avoid her question. 'I... I heard you singing....' I confessed shyly. 'It was beautiful.'

Prettiest Girl Ever smiled. 'Thank you. I often come here with my dog, Songie.' Prettiest Girl Ever gestured to the tall white fluffy dog who was still eyeing me suspiciously. 'This place.... it calms me.'

I nodded. 'I can see how. It's a beautiful garden.'

Prettiest Girl Ever smiled again. 'Thank you.'

I nodded again, then frowned. Wait.... 'thank you'?

I looked back up at her. She was still looking at me. I blushed as we held eye contact and I had to look away. What was happening to me? I never blush. I never felt this embarrassed and shy in front of someone before.

Suddenly something clicked in my head and I looked back at her.

'Hey, uh.... I think I fainted earlier, and then I had this crazy dream.... I think you were in it? That probably sounds weird, I'm sorry...'

Prettiest Girl Ever paused, then realised something and started laughing. Even her laughter was perfect.

'That wasn't a dream.'
'Oh.' I nodded. 'Wait, it wasn't?'

She simply smiled mysteriously. 'Anyway...' she began to walk towards me and my heartbeat picked up (why???), 'I just realised I haven't introduced myself yet.' She outstretched a hand and a smile. 'My name is Joy.'

'Joy...' I repeated. It.... fit.

'I'm Seulgi.'

I took her hand in mine and we shook politely. Her skin was soft and warm and I couldn't help but note that our hands seemed to fit perfectly together.

We pulled away and then neither of us knew what to say. I eyed her shyly and her eyes never left my face.

'That place is horrible, right?' she commented, gesturing to the building looming above the trees. She took a couple of steps towards me.

I nodded in agreement at once, trying to keep my cool with all my might. 'It really is! I can't stand it in there. The very atmosphere is so off-putting. It's the bleakest, most uninviting place I've ever seen. Why anyone would want to work there I can't understand.'

I looked back at Joy, now mere inches away, worried about expressing my opinion so strongly when she could very well work there. But she appeared unfazed, smiling at me faintly like she was hanging onto my every word with pride, her eyes saying things I struggled to read. I couldn't pry my eyes away from looking into hers. They captured me and took me apart, reading into my soul. Her eyes were so inviting, so welcoming. They caused my heartbeat to accelerate to a seemingly impossible speed. The more I looked into her eyes, the more I felt like the rest of the world didn't exist. Her sweet gaze just automatically brought a smile to my face.

'Yes. It is awful.'

I wanted to ask her why she was here. I was bursting with curiosity. Why had she been appearing next to me everywhere all day? Did she work here? Or was she simply an intern visiting, and like me, snuck into the private garden, aching to get out of that building for some air? Why does she have a dog?

But I never got to ask those questions because Joohyun was ringing me.

'I'd better... be going...' I muttered lamely, and ran away.

I breathed out as soon as I was out of the scene. God.. what was wrong with me? I'd never felt like that before in my life. There was just something about Joy that made me feel things I'd never, ever felt before. The heated eye contact, the heartbeating, my sweaty palms. And I couldn't stop smiling.

I answered Joohyun, who was panicking.

'Seulgi! God, where are you? I can't find you anywhere! Are you okay?

'I'm fine, Joohyun,' I muttered. 'I'm coming back.'

'Okay! Meet me at the entrance!'

Without answering, I hung up and stuffed my phone back in my pocket.

I found myself smiling stupidly as I jogged through the garden and slipped back through the doors into the building. Somehow, I had to find a way to see Joy again.

==

A/N:

WOOO THEY FINALLY MET

OKAY. ITS FINALLY DONE. Idk why but im rlly nervous about this chapter. I finished it like 2 days ago but i wasnt 110% happy so ive kept going back to check it and tweak it and idk this is it. i do like how it came out tho so i hope u all do too D: <3

follow me on twitter -> @joygioutsold for updates!