"Naeun-ah...I can't do it...”

 

"I don't know how to do it...”

 

"Naeun-ah, please...let me go and tell him that I can't do it..."

 

Naeun was listening to Taemin's words with a smile in the conference room. Taemin looked worried; he was trying to convince Naeun that he can't do the project.

 

"Naeun-ah..." Taemin pleaded.

 

"Hey from the morning you are saying the same thing, I'm bored of hearing it." Naeun shook her head.

 

"But you don’t understand me"

 

"What I should understand? You are the one to understand" Taemin looked at her with pout face, "You are given a work to do, so you can't skip it, you have to do it"

 

"But that day I just said what I felt that's all," Taemin said.

 

"Just draw what you felt that day, let’s start the work" Naeun gave him a paper. Taemin got it from her and decided to draw.

 

"Here it is a big fountain with light effects...From here trees are arranged in alternate ways...this way water flows around...there are wooden bridges...” Taemin explains as he draws his idea. Naeun bit her lips to hide her laugh for his weird drawing. After he finishes his rough drawing, Naeun started doing a formal drawing with his drawing as a reference.

 

"What is it?"

 

"Is it a statue?"

 

"Is the water ends here?" Naeun has to ask him so many questions because some drawing only Taemin can understand.

 

"Naeun-ah, let's add a pathway along with the water flow," Taemin said when she was drawing.

 

"Wae?" she asked when Taemin insists her to add it even though she said no for the idea.

 

"Because Imo will like it" Taemin smiled thinking of something and looked at Naeun, "Imo always says her best date with samcheon is walking with him near Han River.” He said.

 

“Mrs.&Mr.Kim?” Naeun asked.

 

Taemin nodded, “In that place only they spoke about their marriage and future, so it is always special to her. That's why let's add the replica of it." Taemin explained to her.

 

"Ohhh...you know how to impress the client," Naeun said in teasing tone.

 

"I know more about this client" Taemin smirked and felt proud of his idea.

 

"So what else this client likes?"

 

"A stone statue" Naeun looked confused. Taemin draws two hands exchanging ring inside two heart shape structure. As Taemin says Naeun did few corrections to it. It came out well.

 

“Samcheon proposed Imo before a statue like this in Busan Park. Now that statue is removed so always Imo says she likes to see that statue once again" Taemin explained. Naeun liked all his ideas.

 

They both are working in the conference room alone for long hours, that made Krystal who was outside, to get worried about Naeun. So she came to see them and also tease Taemin for his weird drawing.

 

"Is it a plant?"

 

"Does it look like a tree?"

 

"Oh the water is flowing here; I thought it is a snake"

 

Krystal keeps on teasing Taemin, so Naeun kicks her out when she crosses her limit.

 

Naeun as she does her work, she teaches him whatever she is doing. Day by day Taemin learnt new things, not only Naeun, Jung Shin and Kwonho also teaches him. They showed him their old projects. Every evening Taemin looks tried and Naeun has seen him sleeping in the bus on Kwonho's shoulder while on the way to home.

 

Naeun looked tried because of working on the computer for very long hours that day. So Taemin decided to get her a coffee and went to the cafeteria. While he is coming from the cafeteria with two cups of coffee in each of his hand, ahjumma who was mobbing the floor dropped the mob on the floor by mistake so Taemin's pant got dirty by the water that got splashed while crossing that place.

 

"Aish...my pants...can't you see people are going...” he said angrily to ahjumma. She was the same ahjumma who directed him to database centre on Taemin's first day of his work.

 

"I'm sorry," ahjumma said politely to Taemin.

 

"Who wants your sorry? Now my pants got dirty...aish...it's all because of you...” he said angrily. Before she could reply, Taemin moved from the place with an angry face. Ahjumma felt hurt by his words.

 

After a few steps, a wide smile formed on his face when he saw Naeun in the hallway and she was looking at him.

 

"I got you a coffee" Taemin gave her a cup of coffee with a big smile. But Naeun doesn't look happy; she walked towards ahjumma after she shook her head at him in disappointment.

 

"Ahjumma" old lady looked up at Naeun, "Minahae, I'm sorry for what that guy said to you," she said pointing at Taemin who is now looking at both of them, "He doesn't know how to talk politely" she continued.

 

"Aniyo, it's okay. His dress got spoiled because of me, it's my mistake" she told.

 

"Aniyo, he should not talk like that, you are elder to us, I'm sorry because of him"

 

"You people always meet many important people. So it will be bad if you go for a meeting with a dirty dress, that's why he got angry" she said. Naeun smiled for her reply.

 

"Even you are an important person ahjumma, in fact with your work only, we are been evaluated for our work" Ahjumma looked confused. And also Taemin.

 

"If this place is not clean like this no important person will come and meet us, so you also important to us, so no work is less important, you also deserve respect ahjumma," Naeun said holding her hand. Taemin thought about Naeun's words, he felt it is true, he recollected his behaviour with his household staffs. He never thought that even a small work has much importance. He also realized that until now to no one, he has given respect. When he lifts his head after thinking, he saw Naeun is standing before him.

 

"If it is your eomma, then also you will behave like this?" she asked and went inside. Taemin didn't reply.

 

"Ahjumma!" Taemin called her after gathering some courage, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for my words." he said with head hung low, "I behaved so immaturely, sorry for everything. Please forgive me" Taemin said looking at her. Ahjumma felt he is really reflecting on his mistakes.

 

"It's okay. Can I help you to clean your pants?" she asked him.

 

"Aniyo ahjumma, I can manage. Please forgive me for my words" he said. Ahjumma smiled at him, "Are we okay now?" Ahjumma nodded her head, "Then get this coffee from this chingu" he gave her a cup of coffee which she happily accepted.

 

When he turned from ahjumma, he saw Naeun watching him. She smiled at him which made Taemin get shy. His legs struggled either to run away from there or to go before Naeun. In the end, Naeun came to him. Taemin bit his lips to hide his smile, his cheeks turned red in shy.

 

"Your coffee is still with me" Taemin showed the cup of coffee which he is holding. Before Naeun could get it, a new hand grabbed it, it is Krystal.

 

"Yah...it's for Naeun-ah," Taemin said to Krystal who tastes the coffee.

 

"Now it's mine," Krystal said before taking one more sip of coffee. Naeun smiled at Taemin.

 

"Let me get you coffee" Taemin ran away in shy after finding coffee as an excuse.

 

Before the given time, Taemin and Naeun finished the design work and submit it to manger Jaehyo. He was quite surprised and also appreciated for Taemin’s work. Taemin felt happy and he came out from the manager's office with the full smiling face because after a long time probably for the first time, he was appreciated for his work. He felt thankful to Naeun for helping him.

 

After submitting the documents to the manager Jaehyo, that evening Taemin saw Naeun going alone in the opposite direction from their usual way.  So he decided to follow her.

 

"Naeun-ah!" Naeun turned when she heard Taemin calling her, "Where are you going alone?" he asked her when he came near her.

 

"I'm going to the nearby church," Naeun said pointing the way to church.

 

"Can I join you?" Taemin asked in a low voice.

 

"Wae?"

 

"You are going alone"

 

"I'm not a kid to get lost," Naeun said with a small smile.

 

"Yeah...you are not...but still...I haven't gone to church for a long time...”

 

"Let’s go...it's walkable distance," Naeun said after a moment of thinking. Taemin nodded and join with her. When they reached the church, people were coming out from the church after the service but still, they went inside to pray.

 

Naeun noticed Taemin just looking around the church instead of praying.

 

"Don't you have anything to pray to God?" Naeun asked.

 

"List to pray?" Taemin smiled, "I have so much to ask God. I want to go back to my home, I want my big room back, I want to prove my Appa that I can be responsible also, I want to live a peaceful life, at least as of now I want to talk with my eomma..." Taemin finished. Naeun was listening to him.

 

"This all can't be happening in an overnight. But I'm sure it will happen one by one. So pray to God" she said and started praying. Looking at her, Taemin also prayed.

 

They both boarded the bus together. Like usual Naeun decided to listen to music but this time since Taemin was with her, she listens with him. As they listen to music, Naeun was talking about her favourite music, favourite artists but Taemin was just looking at her face and thinking.

 

'I'm getting influenced by you Naeun-ah, I don't know whether you are doing by knowing it or not but can you able to see that I'm getting influenced by you?' he thought looking at her.

 

"Listen everyone..." manager Jaehyo called his teammates for attention. It's been two days; Alpha Construction has submitted their project presentation to Kim Construction.

 

"Our landscape plan for Kim Construction has been got shortlisted for presentation," Jaehyo said.

 

"Oooo..." everyone shouted and cheered for the news.

 

"So on Thursday Taemin is going to present it"

 

"What? Am I going to present?" Taemin asked as he stood up from his seat.

 

"Yes because it's your idea so you have to present it"

 

"But Naeun-ah also helped me," Taemin said as he points to Naeun.

 

"That's why she is also coming with you"

 

"Why Son Naeun has to go with him?" Krystal asked Jaehyo before Naeun could reply, as she stood up from her seat.

 

"Then, do you like to join with Lee Taemin?" Jaehyo asked Krystal. Taemin and Krystal looked at each other.

 

"Aniyo!" Krystal said as she shook her head faster. All chuckled.

 

"Ani, I didn't do anything, it's all Taemin's work...I just helped him," Naeun said. Taemin looked at her.

 

"It's okay, it may be his work but he doesn't have any experience in doing the presentation, so go with him to guide him" Naeun didn't reply him, "You started together so finish it together," he said.

 

Naeun looked at Krystal who shook her head to say no to him and also looked at Taemin who is also looking at her for her reply. After a moment of thinking, she nodded her head to Jaehyo.

 

"So, Taemin and Naeun going for presentation, be prepared," Jaehyo said and went to his cabin.

 

Taemin was worried about the presentation so he keeps on practice in the room with Kwonho and also discussed a lot with Son Naeun. She also helped and encouraged him. Krystal was worried about Naeun going with Taemin for presentation.

 

On Thursday after lunch, Taemin and Naeun prepared to go for presentation in Kim Construction's office. When Naeun stood up from her seat, she felt slight stomach ache. She bit her lips to bear her pain. Before going out, she looked at the calendar and shook her head after a moment of thinking. As soon as they reached Kim's office, Naeun rushes to restroom leaving Taemin to wait for her. After sometimes, she came out nervously.

 

"Shall we go?" Taemin asked but Naeun didn't reply to him and also didn't move.

 

"What happened, Naeun-ah?" he asked as he comes near to her. He noticed she looks nervous and tries to avoid his eye contact.

 

"Tell me," he asked again.

 

"Taemin-ah..." Naeun let a big sigh, "I got my periods..." she said in low voice without looking at him due to embarrassment.

 

"Oh...” Taemin's eyes went wide. Both tried not to have eye contact.

 

"It is early...so...I don't know...”

 

"Oh...”

 

"Due to stress...you know..."

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