“Are you sure he’s not here?  I really need to speak to him.”

Jin Hajoon narrowed his eyes while the petite tomboy paced desperately back and forth.  “I may be just a summer intern, Min-sshi…” Hajoon smarted haughtily, “…but as I so informed you mere seconds ago – sajangnim isn’t in the office.  But by all means, check underneath my desk.  I’m sure I missed a spot.”

Min glared over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out.

Hajoon snorted and bit back a smile while his sunbae made her way over.  He couldn’t help but appreciate the way Min’s hips naturally swayed underneath her terry black sweats.  She was provocative, even dressed down.  There was just something about her aura that exuded iness.  He found himself sitting up straighter in his chair the closer she drew near.

“Hajoonie…”

He grimaced.

Min gracefully perched herself on the front edge of the glass desk and leaned forward to address the eighteen-year-old.  “I know you’re the Director’s nephew and all.  And I know how much you loooove your job,” she sarcastically drawled with a wide smile.  “But you can get that assistant manager position a lot quicker if you learn how to kiss .”

Hajoon uncomfortably cleared his throat and straightened his necktie.  A burning red flush began to creep up his neck.

“So I’ll ask nicely once again.”  Min’s eyes sparkled with mirth as she lowered her voice an octave.  “Where can I find Park sajangnim?”

He audibly swallowed.  “It’s a secret.”

An exasperated sigh escaped from Min’s lips.  She straightened from her position and hopped off the desk to resume pacing once again.

“He’s working on a project that only the executive team knows about.  The details aren’t f-finalized y-yet,” Hajoon rambled incoherently as Min waved his excuses off.  He could see clear annoyance written all over that beautiful face.  It made him feel so horrible inside.  “But I guess I could tell you-” he found himself blurting out loud.

She spun on her heel.  “What?”

“Umm…uhh-”

Min pinned the lanky teenager with her eyes as she stalked back over.  “Are you telling me you do know where Park sajangnim is?”  She came around the desk and stepped in-between Hajoon’s sprawled legs.  Butting up against the tabletop, Min planted a foot in the middle of the intern’s chair – nearly crushing his family’s jewels in the process.  She folded her arms across her chest and saucily grinned.

“Do tell.”

“C-could you,” Hajoon croaked, as he gripped the armrests of his office chair tight.  “Could you move your foot p-please?”  He didn’t dare breathe.  The soles of Min’s Nikes grazed softly along the crotch seam of his pressed slacks.  Just another centimeter and he’d be maimed for life!

“What?” Min’s eyes grew innocently large and round.  “This foot?”  She inched her toes downward, encroaching on his zipper.

“Okay, okay, okay,” the young boy rushed out.  Sweat broke across Hajoon’s forehead while scenes from his bleak future flashed before his small eyes.  He could see it now – growing lonely and old.  Enduring countless formal dinners at his decrepit mother’s house, night after night.

Hajoon involuntarily shuddered.

“I’m waiting.”

He nervously his thin lips and began. “You know… I could get fired for this- Ah! Ah! Ack!” Hajoon whined and pressed himself hard against the backseat of his chair.  She had clamped down another half-step, ensuring his twins were now conjoined.

Min bit down on her lip to quell the erupting laughter inside.

“I don’t know all the facts,” Hajoon anxiously rambled, “but all I know is that Park sajangnim is working on a collaboration project with Yang sajangnim.”

 The news immediately sobered her up.

“What?” Min dispelled with an air of disbelief.  “That’s… That’s not possible.”  She dropped her foot to the ground and stood up in a complete daze.  The last collaboration project their boss worked on with his friend over at YG Entertainment was with sunbae, Se7en, nearly two years ago.  There hadn’t been anything else between their companies since.

Well… not exactly.

Not unless one counted that recent acting gig Eunran unnie did for that one guy’s music video.  That one guy Min purposely avoided anytime she hung out with his fashionista best friend.  That one guy Min excitedly talked up in an interview nearly four years ago.  She mentioned he was one guy she admired and really wanted to work with.  But she might as well have informed the entire world that she had a major crush on him!  It wouldn’t have been so embarrassing… had she not remained secretly oh-so infatuated!  But like a silly fangirl, she still found herself blushing anytime she saw him on TV.  And she still turned green with envy every time they replayed his latest bed make-out scene on screen.

Damn.  I should’ve been a model-actress, Min thought to herself.

“With whom?” Min spat out, a bit more forcefully than she intended.  She blinked hard and forced herself to forget about dirty tattoos, messy fro-hawks, and y tanned six-pack abs galore.  “We already have so many things going on in our pipeline.  Sajangnim can’t possibly have time to work on anything else.”

“You’d think,” Hajoon agreed, slyly crossing his legs just in case.  “But he’s been thinking about it for awhile now, from what I’ve heard.  It seemed important to him.  He doesn’t even want this revealed at the next KMP Holdings meeting.”  The lanky kid started counting off with his fingers.  “So S.M., Star, Media Line… they’re all in the dark.  It’s completely under radar.”

Min narrowed her eyes.  “How do you know so much?”

A small smirk played about his lips.  “My uncle doesn’t drag me to all his board meetings for nothing Min-sshi.  And I’m invested in this company too, if you must know.”  Hajoon folded his arms over his chest and leaned arrogantly back in his chair.  “It pays to know where my money is going.”

She playfully rolled her eyes and started towards the door.

Alarmed by Min’s sudden departure, Hajoon shot straight out of his seat.  “Hey, don’t you want to know where sajangnim is?” he exclaimed.

Min turned around, her features full of amusement.  “Oh?  Were you going to tell me?” she smiled mischievously.  “Because for a second there, I thought I might have to shove my foot elsewhere in order for you to talk.  Once I find more appropriate shoes, of course,” Min mumbled thoughtfully to herself.  She tapped her chin with a finger and furrowed her brows.  “I was thinking… more like stilettos.  With extra spikes.”

He had the grace to blush.  “Mianhae…” Hajoon self-consciously scratched the back of his neck.  “I wanted to tell you when you first walked in-”

“Mmm.”

“-but you know I have to adhere to guidelines.”

She gave him an unconvinced look.

“How about I tell you if you let me buy you a drink at Dunkin’ Donuts later this week?”

Surprise lit her eyes.  She was flattered.  “How about you tell me… and I’ll think about letting you buy me a drink at Dunkin’ Donuts later this week?” Min quipped in return.

“Wuh…wuh…” His lips floundered around the word.  “What’s there to think about?  It’s a drink, right?  It’s not a ring.”

Damn insolent eighteen-year-olds!  “Fine,” Min reluctantly relented.

“YES!”

Her soft lips curved up into a wayward grin.  “One drink,” Min reiterated as sternly as possible.  It was hard, considering how much she wanted to laugh out loud.  “Unless by some miracle I find myself with a boyfriend later this week,” her voice trailed off with a smile.  “Now, spill it!”

Triumph coursed through Hajoon’s veins as he mentally counted off.  Five days.  Just five days and he’d be on a date with one of the hottest, most iest-   “Okay,” he bobbed his head eagerly, ready to begin.  “You have yourself a date.  Err- drink,” Hajoon swiftly corrected, his face flaming red.

Min grinned, pleased to have made someone’s day.  The pleasurable moment was short-lived however. 

“Sajangnim’s over at YG.  They’re running some underground dance camp for this collaboration thing I told you about.”

“Is it for a new group?”  Her eyes narrowed.

Hajoon shook his head, seriousness now filling his demeanor.  “I doubt it.  Based on the amount of hours we each put into our trainees, I don’t think sajangnim would want to give up our people that easily.”

She nodded in agreement.  “Scouting for new talent again, then.”

“More than likely.”  He could see the wheels churning inside Min’s pretty little head.  “Back-up dancers are my guess.  The best street dancers will be pitted up against one another while a few select judges will be there to check style, control, improvisation, and musicality.  The usual.”

“Sounds like my kind of scene,” Min murmured to herself.  “Who are the judges?”

“A development team with Park sajangnim, of course,” he replied.  “And Yang sajangnim will be on hand, I’m told.  And Taeyang-sshi.”

“T-taeyang…?” she trailed off, taken aback.

Hajoon smiled and nodded, completely unaware of Min’s distress.  “Yep.  Seems like sajangnim is finally getting his chance to work with the singer.”

“So the collaboration is for another YG artist?” Min accused, her voice shaking slightly.  She didn’t know why, but she felt betrayed.  Angry and utterly betrayed.

Some of the merriment in Hajoon’s eyes faded away when he finally caught on.  “Mianhae Min-sshi-”

“Don’t.” She emptily half-smiled and shook her head.  “How is this your fault?”  She started walking backwards towards the entrance door.  “It’s not like you’re the one that keeps pushing back miss A’s comeback.  And everyone else’s comeback for that matter.”  Emotion boiled up to the surface, staining Min’s lips berry-red.  “I’m sure we’re all happy to know our boss works hard to further other artists’ careers outside his own company.”

She let out a scoff of disbelief and turned around, intent on leaving with her pride in-tact.  “Call me after he reviews my videos,” Min called over her shoulder.  “I’ll be at home-“

“He-“

She took another step.

“He didn’t approve them.”

The back of Min’s eyes burned with unshed tears as she stared unseeingly straight ahead.

“Mianhae…” Hajoon pathetically apologized.  He could see the stiff lines in Min’s posture and knew she was still processing it all.  It made him feel awful for imparting such news, but he didn’t want to offer her any false hope.  “Sajangnim made the decision last week but hasn’t gotten around-“

“It’s alright,” came the hollow reply.  A lonely tear slipped over Min’s waterlines and rolled down her cheek.  “I’ll be alright,” she whispered to herself.  Hardening her resolve, Min raised her chin and walked out.

• • • ♥ • • •