The first thing (or to be exact, living person) that bugged Baekhyun early on his working Monday was no other than the infamous Chanyeol. The first step Baekhyun took into the office was greeted by his colleague’s obnoxious grin and even though Baekhyun had pushed him out of his way (rather rudely), Chanyeol was still there, breathing in 5 cm radius around him and it really got on each of Baekhyun’s nerves.

“Can you please do your own work and leave me alone? Oh and if you’re thinking to persuade me to do your unfinished works again, I’m sorry but I won’t even if you treat me dinner in Bora Bora Island.” Baekhyun put off his briefcase once he reached his working cubicle and turned to Chanyeol with his arms folded neatly against his chest.

“Well, good morning to you too, Baekhyun.” Baekhyun rolled his eyes. “Owh come on don’t be too grumpy on your first day of work.  I just want to ask you something.”  Chanyeol smacked the back of Baekhyun’s shoulder blade, receiving back a glare from the latter.

“What is it?” The office chair was never in Baekhyun’s liking but it suddenly felt like the most comfortable thing on Earth once he sat down. He almost thought of dozing off for a moment due to the heavy fatigue under his eyes. The ride back from Busan last night wasn’t as smooth as he thought it would be. The horrific traffic jam was least expected plus the outraging children he was forced to control too while driving.

Chanyeol fixed his loose necktie and hopped on Baekhyun’s working table, almost knocking down the box of stationaries due to his clumsiness. “What’s your ideal type? I mean like, the skin colour, or hair length, personality and so on,”

“What?” Baekhyun scoffed in disbelief. “Why do you need to know?” His back sunk deeper into his chair. “Tch. Don’t act like you don’t get it, man. I’m looking for a girl for you. Who knows, maybe your next wife.” Chanyeol replied nonchalantly.

“What? No, Chanyeol.”

“Don’t worry, Baek. I’m sincerely wanted to help. You don’t have to pay me or anything but, one dinner treat sounds pretty nice.”

“No, I won’t treat you any dinner. I mean, I don’t want your help for finding me a girl, really.”

“Okay okay. If you think a dinner treat is offensively expensive. I’ll do it for free for my one and only best friend. Now tell me what’s your ideal type.”

“No Chanyeol you don’t understand. I don’t need you to find me a girl. Thank you so much, I do appreciate your kind intention but no.”

“Just tell already! You don’t actually have to marry someone I introduce to you. Just give it a try.”

Baekhyun pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. He knew better that whatever argument he would try on Chanyeol, it wouldn’t work. Chanyeol was one thick headed man he ever met in his life. “Okay then. My ideal type is Saerom. Period.” Chanyeol was quite taken aback from Baekhyun’s simple answer. He didn’t question much but his expression told everything. The man sat quietly for a couple of minutes, face solemn and seemed to be in deep thoughts but he then grinned widely again before he got off the table. “I got it!” Chanyeol said before striding back to his own cubicle.

 Baekhyun didn’t know what Chanyeol finally ‘got’ but he wouldn’t want to know either. Sleep was the only thing that wandered around his head and maybe, maybe an image of Saerom, or…Saehyun. He couldn’t tell.

∆

“When will you get your lazy back to work em sweetheart?” It was during lunch when her mother decided to voice out a question that Saehyun had been hearing up for almost three days straight. The day marked three weeks after Saehyun’s fabulous come back and yet, she was jobless. “Mom….” Saehyun whined rather disgustingly (as to what her father said) with her full mouth slightly opened.

Mrs Kim laughed and continued, “I was just kidding but still, when will you be working? It’s almost a month now. We can’t afford more rice for you.” Her father nodded in agreement. Saehyun whined even louder. “Your Mom was joking again, but still.” Her father stuffed more rice in his mouth as he uttered that with a blunt face.

“Dad! Pfft, well, I already sent tons of job applications yesterday. I’m now just waiting to get a call or something.” She stretched out her limb with an empty bowl towards her mother to get more rice. “And then I can buy more rice for this house.” Both of her folks guffawed rather loudly before they said with unison, “That’s what we’re waiting to hear.”

Two days later, God finally granted her prayers. Exactly after the small family got back from town, Saehyun’s phone rang with an unknown number lighted up on the screen. She was told to come to Seoul, in a specific date and time for a job interview and perhaps, to just get her job started. The monotone voice in the call said that their company which was named the Ace Corporation (the company’s name summoned up the memories in Saehyun’s mind as she had actually applied for a job vacancy at the said company days ago), had been looking for someone to fill up the vacancy of the particular job position Saehyun requested and quite happy to know Saehyun had rather respectable qualification (her Master) and job experience in Germany.

“We’ve already emailed you the details and we hope to see you soon, or perhaps having you as part of our company, Miss Kim. Thank you.”  Saehyun said ‘thank you’ politely and cut off the call. However, the gratitude and happiness she felt faded off once she did that. The crestfallen expression written all over her face caught her mother’s attention.

They were sitting on the couch in the living room, only both of them as her father had to go to the annual neighbourhood’s meeting. “Owh honey, what’s wrong? I thought you’re going to be happy?” Her mother concerned. “I am but, this job is in Seoul, Mom. I thought I’m going to just work in Busan and lives with you and Dad.”

The side of her eyes wrinkled admiringly as Saehyun’s beloved mother smiled. She held both of Saehyun’s hands and the warmth radiated through her mother’s delicate hands gave serenity to Saehyun. “It’s okay honey. You’re still in a close proximity with us than when you’re in Germany. Besides, you can always visit,”

“To send some rice,” another voice added and Saehyun looked up to see her father who was standing at the doorstep. Saehyun and her mother burst out in laughter before Saehyun, herself went to smack her father playfully.

∆

The deal had been made.

The day before Saehyun off to Seoul, she created a very simple yet efficient plan (she convinced herself) to avoid any unwanted circumstances during her soon-to-be long stay there. Being a Busan-born girl she had never once in her entire life got the chance to live in Seoul. Even though the urban city was practically another state in Korea but Saehyun’s unreliable conscience would always tell her that to live a life in Seoul with the life she currently had in Busan would be completely dissimilar. Her home was in the countryside too though. So, she made the plan.

The voice in the phone call days ago gave a certain hope for Saehyun that she would get hired no matter how bad the interview would flow due to her qualification and previous job in Germany. However, that wasn’t the main element in the plan that she was worried for. It was actually a shelter. A home in Seoul was what frightened her and her hopes as to what she heard from people around the neighbourhood, (after the news she would move to Seoul got spread like wildfire) to find a perfect shelter in the vivid urban city was like finding a treasure chest in an island lives with pirates. It sounded rather exaggerating but it was better to prepare either way.

But luckily as Saehyun dug deep and deeper into the internet one night on her bed in warm pyjamas, she eventually found a place; an apartment with cheap rent and located not too near and not too far from the soon-to-be workplace. The odds were in her favour surprisingly. She concealed a deal with the owner of the apartment immediately.

∆

A weight weighed down upon the mattress of Baekhyun’s bed making it groaned with each move. The oddity was that Baekhyun had already sprawled on his bed hours ago, unmoving, deep in his slumber, way too comatose until the entity who began to slowly crawled towards him, killing every distance between them didn’t stir him. Loud snores echoed throughout the room didn’t stop just yet even when the entity poked him hard on his cheeks and abdomen.

It had been a bad day for him after all. The meeting he conducted went quite unlikely off and his lunch had been stepped on by someone in haste before he managed to retrieve it back once it fell on the road on his way back to office and his workplace had insufficient stock of caffeine to keep him awake.

“Daddy! Daddy!” losing her patience, Hyemi began to jump on the bed. Baekhyun eventually opened up his crusted eyelids. “Haven’t I told you to let me sleep for a while Hyemi? Please I just got back from work and I need some rest. Just go play with Yuhan or anything, please…” Baekhyun mumbled lazily as he turned over to the other side of the bed.

“But I thought you’re dead! You’ve slept for so long! It’s already night, Yuhan and I are hungry! Wake up Daddy!” the pout and yells from Hyemi were unfortunately vain. Baekhyun instantly went back to sleep (or pass out as it seemed to) and she angrily stomped off right after she smacked Baekhyun on his back with her tiny hand with the utmost energy she had. But unfortunately, her action was futile too.