Chapter 6

The Lost Kitty

Sulli made a total of 48 cups before she got the correct taste.

"I hope this can pass his taste." Sulli smiled.

"I wonder what time is he coming out?"

The kitchenette is located on the corner of the office and was covered with a divider to separate it from the receiving room.

Sulli lost track of time. When she went back to her, only then she noticed that it's already almost midnight.

She gathered her self and went to Minho's office.

"This is not right, he is over-working his self."

"I don't care if he gets angry but there needs to be someone to tell him to stop once in a while."

Sulli knocked a few times but did not get any response.

"Maybe he's asleep?"

She slowly turned the doorknob and open Minho's office. The lights were out. And she did not find Minho.

"Huh? Where did he go? I didn't see him walk past that door." Sulli murmured to herself while sitting alone in the receiving area.

"Maybe I must have missed him when I was practicing making his coffee"

"Ottokie (What should I do)?" Sulli embraced herself.

After a few minutes, she went out to the hallway to check if there still someone in the office at that time. But to her dismay, everyone already left the office.

Sulli was still undecided to leave the office or not. She doesn't know the address of the Choi's but she's starting to get the creep thinking she's the only one left in the building.

"Urgh, I just remembered, I haven't eaten yet. The last meal I had was with Krystal during lunch." She touched her belly. She's started to feel hungry.

"Maybe I can just find a convenience store nearby and buy some food then come back here after." Since she can't go home, she will just to spend the night in the office.

Sulli went out to find the nearest 24/7 convenience store.

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Back at the Choi's Residence.

"Try calling the office if she's still there." Minho advised Krystal.

Krystal dialed Minho's office number but the line just keeps on ringing.

"Oppa, no one is answering. What if she got lost trying to find her way home?"

"Thinking those things won't do us any good, okay?" Minho tried to calm Krystal down when he noticed his sister was already panicking.

"Let me call security to check if they noticed her going out of the building." Minho dialed the company's security office and after a few minutes of talking on the phone he went back to Krystal.

"Security confirmed Jae Hee was at the building a little while ago, but she went out. I'll rush to the office now see if I can find her nearby. You just stay here."

"What? No, I'm coming with you."

"Just stay here and wait for my call. If she decided to come home, or call, one fo us should be here."

"Araseo, I understand. Please find her Oppa."

"Yes, I will."

Minho rushed over to the office and after talking to the security in charge, he went out to search for Jae Hee.

"She just left the office so she could not have gone far." Minho thought while driving his car slowly while  checking  the side for any sign of Sulli.

He searched the nearby streets but he couldn't spot Sulli.

"Where are you?" Minho was starting to feel the rush. He's been driving for almost an hour he's starting to worry.

Then it hit him. Worry? "Why would I worry?" he thought.

"Ah, she's still my responsibilty and besides I promised Krystal I'd bring her home." Minho reason out.

After a few turns, Minho decided to check back at the office.

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Sulli found one convenience store a few blocks from the office. She bought instant ramen and some biscuits and soda.

"This should be enough to get me through the night." Sulli thought while paying for the foods she took.

She was on her way back when suddenly she found herself walking on a different street.

"Dang! I think I'm lost again. I'm really bad with direction." Sulli scolded herself.

It took a while for Sulli to find her way back to the office.

She went straight to Minho's office. She was eating her dinner when Minho suddenly appeared.

"Where the heck have you been?" Minho shouted Minho while bridging the gap between them at an instance.

Sulli was shocked. She still has the ramen on . With eyes wide and mouth full, all Sulli could do is freeze.

"Did you know how long we've been searching for you?"

"You can't even call?"

"Krystal was at home panicking and here you are enjoying a meal at my office?"

"If you don't want to go home, say so!"

Minho didn't realize he was already blabbering without a pause. Sulli couldn't even answer back. He wanted to explode and take it on Sulli.

"Why are not answering me?!"

"Are you gonna play dumb?!" Minho continued to shout. He was now aggressively holding Sulli with both of his arms.

Minho was still holding and shaking Sulli when he saw tears coming out of Sulli's eyes.

His grip loosened. Right then, it seems as though his sanity came back.

His anger was swept out the moment he saw Sulli's tears.

Sulli's tears were running endlessly and she was pounding her chest.

"What's happening? A-Are you okay? Minho rushed to Sulli's side.

Sulli didn't answer and just continued pounding her chest. Her right hand was pounding her chest while the other hand was holding her neck.

Just then, Minho realized what was happening. Sulli was choking!

Minho panicked upon seeing Sulli's face. She's almost turning blue.

Minho situated himself at the back of Sulli. He tried to pat her back but it wasn't helping. He wrap his arms around Sulli's tiny waist to give her a Heimlich manoeuvre.

Finally, Sulli was able to throw out the stucked ramen from .

"Kinchana?" Minho asked Sulli while continually pattign her back.

"Neh, komawo.." Sulli's face was red because of embarrassment. She tried to get away from Minho.

They were now seated across each other in the receiving area.

"Tell me, what were you thinking staying up this late in the office?" Minho asked Sulli.

"Uhm, I was doing some reports that Key was not able to do and I wasn't aware of the time," Sulli lied.

"I'd look stupid if I told him I was waiting for him," Sulli silently thought.

"Then why didn't you just go home after finishing? Why buy some ramen and come back here?" Minho continue to put Sulli on the spot.

"I forgot to get the address from Krystal," Sulli lowered down her head not wanting to meet Minho's stare.

"Why didn't you call?"

"I don't have a handyphone and I don't know Krystal's number or the phone number at your house."

Minho wanted to say something but decided to just keep mum about it.

"Here use my phone, call Krystal and tell her you're okay. She must be worried sick now." Minho gave Sulli his phone.

Sulli dialed Krystal number and they talked for a few minutes. Krystal was glad she's okay and told her to come home soon. As soon as the call ended, Sulli handed back Minho's phone.

"Get your bag, we're going." Minho ordered before walking out.

Sulli rushed to grab her bag and ran after Minho who was already in the hallway.

Sulli was seating at the passenger's seat while Minho was driving. Sulli strapped on he seatbelt and as soon as Minho start the engine, Sulli clutched the seatbelt.

Minho noticed Sulli's hands clutched tightly on her seatbelt.

"Are you okay?" Minho gave Sulli a quick glance.

"Ah Neh, I'm okay."

"You don't need to hold your seatbelt you know, it's securely fastened so you should be okay."

"Ah, this? I'm okay, when I'm seated at the front, I don't know but I always do this eversince I could remember." Sulli explained. Minho saw a glimmer of sadness suddenly filling Sulli' eyes.

"Don't you remember anything still?" Minho asked eyes still fixed ont he road.

"Uhm.. I... No, I'm sorry. I don't remember anything." Sulli lowered her head too embarass to face Minho for giving out another lie.

Minho parked the car in front of a small but decent Japanese restaurant.

Sulli wanted to asked but decided to just be quite about it. Minho emerged out of the car and went to Sulli's side to open the door for her.

"We're having dinner." Minho said casually.

"I'm okay. I already had dinner back at the office."

"Eating ramen is not dinner. Besides, you must have throw it all up anyway." Sulli followed Minho inside. They immediately went to a designated door that Sulli guessed was for exclusive customers.

Minho ordered for the two of them. It was a fine meal. Sulli thought Minho ordered more than what they could actually take in. But nonetheless, she's glad that they were in a Japanese restaurant. She missed home. The food was finally served.

Minho picked up his chopsticks. He saw Sulli picking up the biggest sliced of beef and to his surprise instead of putting it directly to her plate, she placed it on his. After carefully putting a slice of beef to Minho's plate, she picked up the best looking maki and again placed it on his.

Minho grabbed Sulli's hands and gave her a questioning look.

"I.. uh... Myanhe (Sorry).. Don't worry my chopsticks are still clean." Sulli gave him a shy smile.

"I can do it myself. Just eat." Minho commanded. Though he doesn't want to admit it, it was a sweet gesture. Something he had never experience from any of the women he knew.

"Dang! I totally forgot." Sulli scolded herself silently. She was used to putting food on her dad and brother's plate first everytime they eat. Sulli was the only girl in the family. It was a gesture taught to her by her mom. She remembered her mom saying,

"By giving the man we love the best cut of beef, or the best rolled maki, or the finest looking sushi first, means we are showing them high respect and giving them the biggest part of our heart."

Eversince she was little, she was used to always picked and placed the best food in her dad and brother's plate. She may be a princess but she never grew spoiled. She got the best love in the world from her family and she was well taught.

They eat silently while trying to avoid each other's eyes.

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Sulli was sitting on her table encoding some financial reports. She was busy typing and her eyes fully focused on the screen when Minho knocked on her door. She stood up and open the door and saw Minho holding a paper bag. He handed it over to her.

"What is this?" Sulli asked accepting the paperbag.

"Just accept it." And before Sulli knew it, Minho was gone. He stormed out and went back to his office.

She opened the paper bag and saw a Samsung handy phone box.

Sulli smiled upon seeing the new phone. She took it out of the box and turned it on before rushing over to Minho's office.

She knocked twice and without waiting for Minho to answer she went inside.

"Yah! Did I tell you to come in? Did you already forget my rules?"

"Opps, Ani.. I do remember them by heart." Sulli pouted and put her hand over her chest before she reciting them.

"First, you need your privacy. Don't enter your office without your permission. You are appalled when someone tries to intrude your privacy. Second, you don't like repeating yourself. Once you have given your instructions, that's it and lastly you can't stand someone refuting or rebutting your ideas. "

"Then why the hell are you here?" Minho shouted.

"Thank you! You rushed out of my office without giving me an opportunity to thank you."

"That's it? You don't need to thank me. You're an employee of this company and as my personal assistant, a handy phone is a basic necessity." Minho buried his head back to the documents he was studying.

"But still, Komawo." Sulli turned to walk out when Minho called her name out.

"Jae Hee.."

When Sulli turned around, she saw Minho's handy phone towards her direction. Good thing she was able to catch it..

"Save your number." Sulli smiled and save her number to Minho's phone. Without Minho knowing she took a selca of herself and save it as her picture contact.

After giving back Minho's phone, Sulli went out.

After a few seconds, Minho heard a knock on his door.

"Come in" still engrossed while reading some documents, Minho didn't even lift his head up to check who came in.

Then someone put a cup of coffee in front of him.

He was delighted to smell the aroma of fresh brewed coffee.  Just then, the door closes back. Minho picked up the cup of coffee and when he was about to sip in, something caught his eye..

There was a pink post-it note sticking on the cup.

Minho can't help but smile. He took the pink note and put in inside his drawer.

As he was enjoying his coffee, he received a text.

He almost choked when he saw Sulli's picture. He opened the text and it said:

"Rule #4, make a good coffee.. I hope you like it. :)"

"Jae Hee, you really puzzles me..." Minho was staring at Sulli's picture.

"Just who are you really?"

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It's been over 3 months.

Sulli was now well adjusted to her work and even with Minho's schedule.

She haven't seen Minho for over two weeks. He flew abroad for another business meeting. She was supposed to go as well but given she doesn't have any identification (or so they thought..) it was hard to get her a passport.

She's enjoying her life so far. But she dreaded the fact that as time goes by, so is her deadline to finally return back home.

Though Minho was not around, she was busy doing reports and client presentation. She deosn't hate it but she also doesn't like it. But it was keeping her busy, so she's glad.

She and Krystal became so much closer. She found a sister with Krystal, something she longed for a long time.

She met a few friends at work as well.

"I wish I was Jae Hee.. I wish I could just have her life right now.. and forever"

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Minho just arrived back in Korea. For some reason, he felt excited to finally be back.

The last two weeks was dragging so slow. It was as if, something is pulling him back home.

Something was missing. Someone was missing..

As much as he wanted to deny it, he knew that was something he doesn't have control over with.

He didn't realized he's missing something until he went abroad.

He took out his handy phone.

Then flashes of memory came about.

Somehow, he realized he missed those morning coffee cups... it wasn't fancy but somehow it was the best coffee for him..

... he realized he likes getting those cute pink post-it notes... he can't even count them all, but he continued storing them on his drawer

... he realized he missed his foods being personally served

... he even realized how he missed hearing those 2 knocks on his door and without his permission, entering his office deliberately...

... he also realized how he would come home early for dinner, when he used to always stay late at the office

... he realized he missed so many things back home that he wanted for time to run fast while he was abroad...

"Are you okay?" Jjong asked.

"Yeah, maybe I'm just tired." Still looking at his phone.

"Are you really tired or maybe its something else?" Jjong noticed that Minho was actually looking at Sulli's picture on his phone.

"What do you mean?"

"You know you can't have those feelings. You know better."

"I don't understand what you're trying to say."

"Minho, its obvious. You can deny it to yourself all you want but you can't deny it from me."

"I know I shouldn't" Minho gave a long sigh.

"If you really like her, you need to be fair to her.More than anything, its for her sake not yours." Jjong gave Monho a friendly pat.

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----> A big big thanks to those who liked my story.. I really appreciate all of your comments... hug hug... :)

Sorry it took me a few days to post this next chapter but I hope you'll like it.

Again, Kamsahamnida!