Everyone applauded as Haeri bowed, smiling brightly she returned back to her designated seat. The head of department, afterwards, stood up for their closure of today’s meeting. “I congratulate everyone present here today for their hard work. I’m feeling so proud that you talented people are working for me.” Then, his face turned serious, indicating that the next thing he was about say held a certain importance.

“But on the top of all, the purpose of this meeting is to inform you that, one of your designs is going to represent our company at IFS; do you know what does that mean? Your designs are going to get worldwide popularity, only if that piece holds such uniqueness.”

One of them raised his hand to ask question, “What is the process of selecting winner? I believe, it’s not going to be easy.” Other nodded in agreement. Their Department head smiled mysteriously at them, “You are right. Winner is going to be the choice of customer.” All of them were confused about that, “It means, your piece of design will be presented in front of buyers, and they’ll choose the design they like. The one design which will get more votes, will be selected for IFS,” he explained thoroughly,

“And when will that competition start?” Haeri asked this time.

“Good question. You’ll start with your work from this day onwards, today, and you’ll face public selection after two weeks. The competition is scheduled for next month. So, I think you guys have sufficient time to prepare, right? So, all the best for your work. The meeting is over, you all are dismissed.”

Everyone exited the conference, Haeri was waiting for Gyuon outside as she was first to leave the room between them. “I’m so excited. It’ll be very fun if our team will win this competition, don’t you think Haeri-ah?” Gyuon’s excitement was flowing through her every body language, making Haeri laugh at her friend’s over-excitement. “Yeah, yeah that’ll be fun, but we have to work very hard for that achievement. So let’s start?” Gyuon nodded eagerly. Both of them were excited, but only difference was Gyuon was showing it and Haeri was not.

Haeri clapped her hands to get attention of her teammates, “Everyone, important announcement. Everyone, in my room, now.” Her teammates quickly followed behind her in her room. As a team leader, Haeri was really very strict. She liked her work to be presented in front of her on time. That was the reason behind her team’s success from everyone else from the company.

“So for this project, I want three groups from all of us. One will decide color combination, second for the cloth selection, and third group, you’ve to run a survey in the public. We will design what people want to buy, not the other way around.”  

After explaining their work to each of them personally, Haeri sat on her chair feeling tired from the sudden load of work.

“Coffee?” someone put the cup in front of her while her eyes were close. Aroma of coffee filled in her nostrils, as she smiled in content. “Just in time…” she opened her eyes greeting the person in front of her with bright smile.

D.O. was cooking in his kitchen while humming some infamous song. “I don’t know your singing got this better. You should’ve become idol, rather than chef,” startled by sudden arrival, he turned around to face the person.

“What are you doing here? Who let you in?” not appreciating the arrival of the said person, he asked in an interrogating manner. That person just shrugged as a response and started to wander there, picking up things and putting them somewhere else. While D.O. was trailing behind, putting those things on their original place, boring her head with his glares.

“Will you stop that?” he finally let it out, getting enough of her meddling and disturbance. She turned around, looking at him as innocent as ever, “And don’t look at me like that. It’s not going to work on me anymore.”

“That’s not my intention at the first place,” she mumbled, hopping on the kitchen counter. D.O. just rolled his eyes; he was acquainted with her more than enough. “Then why are you even here in the in the first place?” he snapped back at her.

“Don’t you think you’ve become more cranky now, Kyung,”

“Don’t call me that. I’ve decent name, which you already know.”

“But I like calling you that, Kyung.” D.O. closed his eyes tightly, started to count from hundred to one backwards. “Are you still doing that? Counting backwards?” he shot her glare, saying to shut , which she obviously didn’t.

“Will you cut the crap and get to the point?”

“Nothing. I just missed this place when I was away.” She shrugged, looking around.

“Well, now that you’ve seen it, I’ll appreciate if you’ll take your leave,” he turned around, ready to leave. But her next statement made him stop dead in his tracks. “And I missed you too, Kyungsoo,” he didn’t know if she wanted him to hear, or not. But he did, and he felt something flipped in his heart.

“I, too, wished to believe in your words. But unfortunately, the things before my eyes are different from your words. ” his voice was dropped clod, he left the kitchen without giving her any second glance.