o1

She held all of the documents tightly inside of her arms, making her way into the meeting room at the fifth floor followed by the clacking sounds from her black coloured high heels. It was already past eight, and her stomach was screaming for help since she hadn’t eat anything since ten hours ago but with a simple “this is the last meeting” thoughts, she forced the remained strength on her body to keep on the track.

She had already used to these kind of things, though. Working as an editorial writer constrained her to be always on time, chasing after the deadline and all ready with the sudden interview schedules—which was a position that she fought for between hundred applicants before. It became her daily routine for staying at office more than twelve hours a day and sometimes even couldn’t get her weekend but that’s what made her considered as a successful person.

Once she arrived at the meeting room, she had to meet with pairs of eyes that were staring at her with intimidating looks—which was something that she got used to as well. She knew that she was finally entered a real life where everyone was competing to get the best position and winning the executive’s heart with every possible ways. And she had to deal with it no matter what.

Though, between all of those type of people, she knew someone that wanted to be her friend in true meaning.

“I hate my life,” said Sunhwa, as soon as Jieun took a seat beside her.

Sunhwa was a typical modern woman that loved pretty things and spending times with shopping more than anything. Her job as a fashion coloumn writer should have get along with her interest but she always said that writing about fashion and buying pretty clothes by herself were two different things. She was a type that didn’t really care much about people’s thoughts about her but Jieun knew she was actually a nice person.

“Another overtime?” Jieun smiled.

She rolled her eyes. “Like always.”

Jieun just simply nodded her head while placing the documents in order—getting ready for the meeting that would be started in a minute. She wasn’t really interested on winning over the executive’s attention but she was indeed a type that would always do her duties with responsible. Ever since long time ago.

“Can you not show me this kind of things,” Sunhwa commented, slightly pushed the documents away. “I’m sick of papers.”

Jieun glanced at her. “I’m sorry.”

“I just want a holiday. A long one,” Sunhwa sighed, playing with the edge of her brown hair. “I guess you want one too.”

“Me?” Jieun frowned. “Why?”

“A date with your man,” she teased, leaning closer to the black-haired girl with a smile. “Ah—you must want it more than me.”

Jieun looked taken aback for a moment, but she couldn’t hold back her smile in the end.

“Eh it’s disgusting,” Sunhwa scoffed, faking a jealous expression. “But really, you need one with him, right?”

Jieun sighed, closing the document with one smooth flip. “We’re alright with this.”

“But he must need one. Isn’t he a workaholic like you too?” Sunhwa tried to interrogate.

“I’m not a workaholic,” Jieun corrected her.

“Yes, you are,” the taller girl insisted.

“Whatever,” Jieun shrugged.

“Wait, don’t try to switch the topic,” Sunhwa slightly shoved her away.

Jieun finally looked at her. “He’s alright with this kind of routine.”

“Are you sure?” Sunhwa raised her eyebrows, trying her best to look convincing. “He’s a man afterall. Remember that.”

Jieun didn’t really believe her words yet the more she think of them, the more it disturbed herself. She knew she had to take a little time for him. It had been awhile since they spent free times together and now that she thought about that, it became much worsen than before.

She knew she had to do something about that.

For the sixth times on her way home, Jieun checked her watch again.

She found herself being late as it was already ten in the evening. And without having someone to be blame on, she put those meeting as the only reason instead as she led her feet to enter the lift.

After successfully got inside the empty lift and pressed button eight, she leant against the wall in complete exhaustion. Sometimes, she would wonder why did she have to work that hard. Her decision to take journalism major surprised so many people at first. She used to be a quiet person, didn’t know how to socialize and talked and that’s why most people around her get worried so bad.

But she proved that she could change too.

Either it was because of the natural changes or because there’s another thing that made her to be this way—she became a good speaker and knew how to interact with people, even a stranger one. That was a good progression of her to be accepted in a big publisher company and got a good position as an editorial writer but there’s always that time where she would ask her ownself whether it was the life that she really wanted or not. Yet, she knew she would always end up with no answer.

All of her thoughts slipped away as soon as the tinkle sound ran through her ears, and she quickly walked out of the lift while blaming herself to wear such that torturing heels. If it wasn’t because they had an appointment with a famous movie director, she would never touch those pair of misery. She promised her ownself.

Finally, she arrived at room 814. Having hard times to take out the key from inside her handbag, she eventually made her way inside the room a minute later. She quickly kicked the heels to the side and without any second glance, she already knew that there’s a pair of worn-out black dress shoes under the rack.

She walked through the living room, placed her dark purple handbag on the couch before turned into the kitchen room on the right side, only to find that there’s a tall, short black-haired guy standing behind the stove.

And a smile escaped her lips to know he’s there.

“You’re home,” he looked a little surprised to see Jieun was standing by the threshold, before carefully switched off the stove.

Jieun smiled. “You’re so fast.”

“Yeah. I finished my work as soon as I got your text,” he chuckled. “Guess I’m indeed too fast.”

She felt guilty about asking him to go home earlier to have dinner yet she was the one who got late instead. While showing off a wistful manner, she slowly walked towards the kitchen set.

“I’m sorry about that,” she sighed. “There’s so many things to discuss on the meeting.”

Then, he laughed—showing his small white teeth and both eyes that got smaller upon his lips tugged up. And all of her vexations washed away just by seeing that.

“It’s okay, Jieunnie,” he softly replied. “You have know me for a very time, right?”

Jieun couldn’t help but to feel uplifted by his warmth. He always succeed on making her smile after such a tiring day and she wondered how. How he could always took away half of her sadness, ever since they were in high school.

“I really know you, Junhong,” she grinned. “And I know that you already cooked something.”

“Just a simple dish though,” Junhong said while moving the lasagna into plates. “Don’t expect too much.”

Jieun laughed. So loveable that causing Junhong to get a little nervous. Which she wasn’t really aware of.

“Alright. I’m so hungry,” she pouted while walking to the dining table.

“Here you go,” he placed the plate in front of Jieun, before had one for himself.

“But this is so delicious,” Jieun commented right after took a bite of it.

“That’s the way I cook,” he smirked. “How’s your work?”

“It’s tiring,” she mumbled. “I even have to work tomorrow.”

“Me too,” he shook his head, hardly believed their hectic schedule. “Will you sleep here tomorrow?”

Jieun thought about that for awhile. “I guess no.”

“Then we’re the same,” he added another point. “It’s been a long time since we spent night here.”

Yes. They lived together in a small apartment since three years ago or precisely since they graduated from college. Jieun never thought that she would agree to his idea of living together but everything just happened that way. She didn’t really understand what made her decided to move in with him but little did she knew it might because she couldn’t disappoint him.

He had been there for her since high school time and always being behind her as a support whenever she needed a hand. Even when she got troubles in college stuffs, and when she looked for a good job around the town—he’s always there with her. And that was why, she thought moving in with him was the best decision she could make.

They had been a relationship a year after living together and Jieun knew it was just make her life more completed. Everybody said so. Having a great job with high salary and a good looking head supervisor boyfriend—everything was just too perfect to be true.

Yet Jieun didn’t know why there’s still like a big hole in her life.

“I have to go now,” he said as soon as they finished the late dinner. “Actually, I left half of my work so I must get back to the office.”

“Aren’t you tired?” Jieun wondered, following his steps towards the front door.

“It’s alright. I think I’ll sleep at office again, though,” he chuckled, slipping on his dress shoes.

“You really need a new pair of them,” she commented.

“I’d prefer to get sleep than looking for one,” he joked, opening the front door later. “Take care, Jieunnie.”

“You too,” she slowly replied, holding on the door for him.

But instead of walking out of the door, he stared at her for a moment, through his soft yet confident gaze that causing Jieun to blush a little. Just when she thought something might happened right after Junhong held out his hand closer to her face—it turned out that he was just wiping off the sauce on the edge of her lips.

And she didn’t know why she held her breathe as he did it.

“Bye,” he smiled, before walking away with a little brisk steps.

Jieun finally sighed, staring at his back that was walking farther from her.

They were indeed being on a relationship, and even lived at the same apartment but they never did any intimate things—which was a bit strange for her. She thought he was an aggresive type, that quickly making move in a woman but it turned out that he was actually taking their relationship with a slow pace.

She always wondered why.

Why—he always looked at her with such questioning stare.

“Yeah, I’m on the way to the next interview now,” Jieun said through the phone while walking down the street with two bags on her left hand, obviously showing off a tired face.

“Have you eaten?” Junhong asked in such protective way, pushing his chair away from the desk.

“Not yet,” she sighed. “What about you?”

“You have to eat first,” he showed his concern. “And no, I haven’t eat either.”

“How can you told me to eat,” she rolled her eyes.

“You are more important,” he slowly stated.

And Jieun felt her cheeks heated up to hear his soft voice running through her ears.

“Like you’re not,” she tried to cover up her nervousness.

Junhong smiled, knowing that she was probably got embarassed by his sudden words. Yet when he glanced at the clock placed on the right side of his computer, his smile automatically faded away.

“I have to check the trainer first,” he massaged his temple for a moment, “I told him to do some accounting stuffs before.”

“Uh, that’s okay,” Jieun nodded, stopped on the sidewalk to look for a taxi. “Don’t forget to have your lunch.”

“You too,” he smiled, “bye, Jieunnie.”

“Bye,” she muttered, before pressing the red button and shoved her phone inside the bag.

Just when she was about to call for a taxi, her eyes caught something behind the glass wall of a small shop across the street. A smile escaped her lips, and without thinking twice, she made her way to that shop with a light steps.

She wanted to only look forward. Wanted to leave the past to where it belongs to be.

And she promised herself that she would never ever look back again.