When Eunji wakes up, it feels like she’s taken a hit to the head. She presses a clammy hand to her forehead and swears under her breath. No, it’s just a particularly bad hangover. She blinks blearily and realizes the sheets beneath her are a stark white instead of her usual navy. Was she at Bomi’s or something? 

With a pained grunt, Eunji rolls onto her back and finds herself staring at an unfamiliar room. She blinks a few more times, and no… She still has no idea where she is. Eunji bolts up then immediately regrets the decision when her headache doubles in pain. She groans as her hands come up to clutch at her head, willing her vision to stop getting random black spots in it. 

Once the pain recedes, Eunji carefully swings her legs over the side of the bed to stand, but when she does, Eunji notices something very important. She isn’t wearing any pants. Normally, this wouldn’t be a big deal since that’s how she usually sleeps, but considering the fact that she’s pantsless in a stranger’s home, this is a problem. Did she go home with someone from the company? Eunji winces. She really hopes not. 

The good news is she finds her pants in a wrinkled bunch right by her feet, so she slips them back on with slow movements. Now clothed, she pads her way into the en suite bathroom to try to pull herself together just a little bit. She uses the toilet, washes her face in the very clean bathroom, and after a quick glance in the mirror, ties her hair back. She looks like an ungodly mess still but just a tad more human.

It’s as Eunji is stepping out of the bathroom that she hears noise coming from outside the bedroom. She pauses by the door and listens carefully. After a moment, she can hear the sound of cooking, metal pans clanging and knives cutting. Okay, so she isn’t alone. 

Poking her head out first, Eunji steps into an empty hallway with tasteful art handing along it. She squints at the art for a moment then shakes her head. That should not be her focus right now. She noiselessly moves down the hall towards the noise and walks into a living with a clear sight of the kitchen. The kitchen that has her boss, Park Chorong, in it. 

Eunji freezes as soon as she sees her. Wait… Is she in Park Chorong’s home? What the ?

She must make a noise or something because Chorong looks up at her, and the first thought that pops into Eunji’s head is that she looks cute. She’s in an oversized t-shirt with her hair in a messy ponytail, and there’s something undeniably domestic about waking up to the sight of her like this. Eunji blinks a few more times to make sure she isn’t still asleep. 

“Hey,” Chorong smiles. “You’re awake earlier than I thought.”

Eunji bypasses the other hundreds of questions running through her mind and asks, “What time is it?”

“A little after nine.”

If what Eunji remembers from last night, which isn’t much, is right, that is early. Given how much Eunji remembers drinking, it’s a wonder that she isn’t half-dead in an alley right now. She winces a little and rubs at one of her temples as she walks closer. She steps into the kitchen and sees the makings of breakfast scattered across the counter. Just behind Chorong, Eunji sees pancakes cooking in a pan.

“Ms. Park, um,” Eunji begins, unsure of what to say. “Are we at your place?”

Chorong flips a pancake then replies, “Yes, I took you back here last night.” No further explanation is offered, and Eunji feels like her head is going to explode. 

“Oh,” Eunji says. She rubs at her eyes, and nope, she’s still standing in a kitchen with her boss making them pancakes. “Did I…” She wants to ask exactly how they ended here last night, but how does she phrase it without getting charged with ual harassment? Before she can figure out how to finish her question, a familiar chime rings.

“That’s yours,” Chorong says, waving a spatula to the counter near her. “It slipped out of your pocket last night, so I put it there so it wouldn’t get lost.”

Eunji has just about a hundred more questions now, but she just mumbles her thanks and grabs it. Lighting up her screen are a ton of notifications from her friends and co-workers. The more she scrolls through them, the more she feels the blood drain from her face.

From Yoon Bomi (10:58 PM): BROOO CHILL OUT YOU’RE ALL OVER MS. PARK YOU’RE GONNA GET FIRED

From Kim Namjoo (11:02 PM): ms. park seems kind of into you??? like you’re really leaning on her but she’s just smiling

From Oh Hayoung (11:05 PM): KISS HER !!!

From Oh Hayoung (11:06 PM): KISS HER, !!!

From Son Naeun (11:18 PM): I’m going to have so much blackmail on you after tonight.

That’s just the beginning of the texts. Eunji can vaguely recall that part of the night. At her company’s dinner party, Eunji had let herself get coaxed into shot after shot. She’d been sitting next to Chorong, since everyone else had been afraid to. The two had been having casual conversation in between Eunji’s shots, but at some point, Eunji had gone past her limit and found herself unable to sit up straight. She could have easily leaned to the other side of her where Bomi was sitting, but instead, Eunji had lolled her head onto Chorong’s shoulder and giggled something stupid.

From Son Naeun (12:09 AM): Oh my god. Ms. Park is really taking you home.

From Oh Hayoung (12:11 AM): bro are you actually gonna get laid by ms. park

From Kim Namjoo (12:13 AM): please make good choices and use protection!!!!!

From Yoon Bomi (12:17 AM): i expect a phone call as soon as you wake up!! best friend privileges!!!

Then there's the latest text message:

From Yoon Bomi (9:18 AM): ANSWER YOUR GODDAMN PHONE

“Is everything okay?” Chorong asks, and Eunji looks up from her phone to find her looking at her with an endearing amount of worry.

“Yeah,” Eunji nods. “I just need to make a call. Let my friend know I didn’t die in a ditch or anything.”