► Chapter 7 | Predict Your Fate

Jiyong’s POV

I wake up at 7:30AM because I’ve set an alarm on my phone last night before I go to bed. I had to come to the company’s building to attend a meeting before 9:00AM. No. Way before 9AM but that’s okay. I don’t really take much time to get ready. Not to mention about the traffic jams I had to face on the way there. I stand beside my bed. I’m too lazy to clean the bed. Plus, it’s a huge bed. I’ll just let Bom clean it up.

"Idiot." Huh?

"She’s not here." I thought someone else was in my house but then I realized it was just my head.

Shoot. Bom is not here.

I went off to the bathroom after cleaning the bed by myself. After that, I got everything ready and packed with me before I drive off. Phone. Last night’s paper works that I haven’t even finished yet. And the car and house keys. After I got inside my car, it was already 8:15AM.

About half an hour passed. The traffic wasn’t that bad today so I made it to the building at 8:45AM. I walk inside the building and stepped into an elevator. I jab on the button that says "8" and the door slowly closes. I’m alone in the elevator. The elevator that has been working for like 15 years is moving so slow, I ended up pensiving while looking straight at the buttons. I wonder what my father wants to talk about. If it’s about my working progress —always sleeping when I’m supposed to work, never finish signing up the paper works and arrive at my house late or in a drunk condition —then I won’t attend that meeting. And suddenly, out of the blue, I’m thinking about Bom. And how much fun she’s spending her time right now in Jeju with her friends. And Seunghyun. I always thought that Bom and Seunghyun aren’t even friends right now since they broke up few years ago so I think there wouldn’t be any misunderstandings.

But what if they still have feelings for each other?

"Hey?"

A voice knocked me off to reality. Looking up, I see a man, probably also a worker in this company. "The president’s son, right? Aren’t you going to attend the meeting?" he asked.

How did he know?

I look at the small screen on the upper right corner to know what floor I’m at. 8. Was I daydreaming too much? "Yeah, I better go now," I awkwardly replied. I stepped out of the elevator and pass the man. He steps in and now he’s facing my back. "Hey," the man calls me again. I turn around to look at him. "Good luck." And he smirks before the elevator door closes.

Good luck? What does he mean by, Good luck?

I check the time on my phone. 08:52AM. Damn it. I run towards a big door which leads me to the meeting room. Everyone, everyone, except me are there. At least I made it in time, right?

"Ah, Mr.Kwon Jiyong, we were about to start the meeting without you. Sit down, please," Says the president —my father. Even though I’m his son, he calls me 'Mr.Kwon Jiyong' as so what you call respect in the office. When I sit down on the chair across father, everyone starts looking away from me or try to distract themselves by looking at the papers and pamphlets on the desk. Speaking of papers, what are these for anyway?

"Alright. Is everyone here now?" asked father. Everyone starts looking left and right. "Yes," I sharply answered. Then silence occurred until the door opens and there, a man with some papers in his hands walks in and stands beside father. "Thank you, Mr. Kwon Jiyong. Check the attendance, Secretary Woo," My father nods at his secretary —the man who walked in just now —and turns back to us. Father picks up the paper that was placed on the wide desk. I checked the time and time is ticking fast. I didn’t bother to read the paper because I think doing so, will only waste time. All I want right now is this meeting to be over quickly and get out. I purposely cleared my throat to get father’s attention since I’m sitting further away from him. Instead of him looking at me, it’s the workers. I say, "If you’re not going to talk about what this meeting is for then I’ll be taking my leave." When I was about to stand up, father’s secretary voiced, reading the words printed on the papers he’s holding, "Our company rivals are increasing in numbers and we’re currently competing with one of them." I stopped standing up and decided to listen to the secretary instead.

One woman in a brown coat asked, "Competing in what matter, to be exact?"

"Hospitality industry. To be more specific, hotel industries. The newest company, Lim Enterprise, thought about using the assets from their marketing ads to take down one of our hotel blocks in Jeju, to build their advertisement publishing warehouse."

We have a hotel in Jeju?

"They can’t do that," I snapped, "We owned that plot and the hotel’s manager signed a contract to associate with our company. Besides, I’m the superior and a part of the co-workers in the hotel industries. So, I take care of what could be taken down and what can be owned," I said.

My father looks at me. His eyes deadly piercing through a hole in my eyes but it didn’t scare me. Nothing of him scares me. "And that is why we need you in this meeting, Mr.Kwon Jiyong. Would you allow the Lim Enterprise to destruct what’s ours?" asked father.

"Of course not!" I slam the table with my fist, scaring most of the other workers present. I continue, "I spend days working on the paper works!"

"Exactly. Now that’s our problem. You spend days on finishing the paper works. Do you still remember what the paper works are for? They are reports to prove that our hotels are doing well with our company but you never even cared to send them in."

"Our company associated with lots of hotels! You expect me to send in 12 long reports in a week? I’m the only superior in this industry! You think my supervisors are willing to help me with it?!"

"Your supervisors have nothing to do with this. They are under training to become like you, Mr.Kwon Jiyong. Well, not you but your position. Now, you haven’t send in the reports since the last 3 months. The hotel in Jeju are now thinking about agreeing to Lim Enterprise’s decision. Or even worse, they want to associate with Lim Enterprise. It’s too late for paper works. The only thing that we can do right now is to compete with them as rivals and convince the hotel to keep up with our company. Or we’ll lose profits, hotel industry points or even the trusts from other hotels as well," Father explained.

One man with round glasses raised his left hand, "Or we can change the superior with someone else?"

I shoot a death glare at him and he lowers his hand. My father stands up, "Changing the lead worker won’t be any help. Because like I just said, it’s too late for bunch of paper works. So now," Father looks around, "Any volunteers?"

I look around and everyone turns to look at me. Are they telling me that I should volunteer to compete with Lim Enterprise? Another man who used to be the lead worker but is now a supervisor under marketing ads, breaks the silence, "I think.." he looks at me, "I think Jiyong should go."

Fine.

Is this what they want?

Then, okay.

I raise my hand and quietly speak, "I’ll do it."

Seunghyun’s POV

Everyone is happy except me. We’re on the 2^nd floor, eating breakfast at the restaurant. Bom is happy with her corn, Youngbae and the others with their pasta and me.. Well, I’m just drinking a glass of water with two ice cubes floating in it. The weather is warm and nice. They’re all laughing about last night’s dinner when Bom and I were watching a movie.

"Guys! Remember when Seungri was pacing off until he didn’t realize that there was like two flies on his food and he just ate his food after that? Oh my god, that was funny!" said Minji and they all laugh but Bom is giving them a disgusted face, "That’s gross! Why didn’t you tell Seungri? He could have a massive stomach ache!" Seungri nods, "Noona is right! Why didn’t you guys tell me?!" he said while pouting. Minji just continues on laughing and said because it was too funny.

"Where were you last night, unnie?" Suddenly Dara turns to look at Bom and asked. "Chaerin said that you went out to somewhere after we left," she continues. Bom looks at me and somehow, that question made me cheekily smile. Dara too, looks at where Bom is looking and her eyes darted on mine and said, "Seunghyun?" —I looked down and sheepishly smirks but the smirk soon vanished when I see Bom’s frown. Everyone else started to look at me too. "I just went out to watch a movie and saw Bom walking around the lobby. I greeted her when she saw me too. I guess she was looking at the antique pictures hanging on the wall," I lied but I was satisfied when I see Bom’s smile again.

Seoul | 10:42AM

"Meeting dismissed."

The chairs creates the noisy screech sounds and heavy vibrations. Jiyong got out from the meeting room first. He stretches his arms up towards the ceiling after listening to the president's —his father —lectures and brags. More workers went out the room after shaking hands with the president. Once their eyes finds Jiyong's figure, they quickly run towards him. They pat on Jiyong's back and talked to him.

"Thanks Jiyong! You really gave us free times on our working days!"

"Thanks Jiyong oppa! Good luck! Don't give in!"

"Hey Jiyong, nice volunteering there. Prove the other company that ours is better! Good luck in Jeju tommorow."

And all of them are out of sight.

Jiyong’s POV

I stepped into the elevator and it send me to the 6^th floor. This is where my office is located. I walked into my office after telling my secretary, Secretary Lee, that I don’t want any visitors to meet me. I stopped walking after I was few inches away from my desk. There were lots of paper works inside a box on the desk and some on the floor. I gathered every sheet of paper works on the floor and throw it inside the box where all the other paper works are in. I don’t have time to finish them right now. I sat down and I tried to sleep with my head on my crossed arms on the desk. And then, when I was about to fall asleep, someone opens the door. I didn’t look up to see who it was. I thought it was my father because Secretary Lee would never let someone go inside my office unless it was the president. If it was even Secretary Lee himself, he could just contact me through the office phone. But I was wrong.

I looked up because there was no response. I still thought it was my father but it was no one else besides..

Yoona?

"How did you get in here? W-what are you doing here, Yoona?" I asked her. She smiled and sat down on the sofa beside the door. "To answer your first question, your secretary lets me in because I said I’d beat the crap out of him if he didn’t or call the securities. And second, I came to see how you’re doing because you didn’t reply my text last night. So Jiyong, how are you?" she replied.

"Perfectly tired to even talk to anyone. Now get out." I stated and went back to my slumber. There was no response again for like 2 minutes and then somehow, I hear the sound of paper crumplings. I look up again to see Yoona chunking the paperworks in the box into the small trashcan beside my desk. I stood up furiously and, "What the are you doing?!"

"I..I'm just cleaning up your mess. These papers in the box are not properly stacked so I thought they're trash."

"Well they're not any of my mess but they're important!"

"I-i'm sorry, Jiyong. Let me just take what I just threw and put it back in the box," Yoona starts taking a crumpled paper from the trashcan. Thank god that was the only paper work she threw. She starts straightening it. I just close my eyes and rub the temple of my nose.

"Just get out, Yoona. I'm.. I'm not in the mood right now. Just.. Take your purse and leave."

"Fine," and she's finally out of sight. I'm just really stressed and tired.

How am I suppose to compete with the company tommorow?