His steps were echoing through the hallway. It feels as heavy as it sounded. The HR representative is still trying to cheer him up, chattering away beside him, obviously sensing Hyukjae's forlorn expression. 

Jungsoo who finally got the message stopped talking but looks as if he was expecting Hyukjae to scamper away from the office, especially from the department he is now part of. 

Just a few months then you can file a transfer of department. He told himself.

Heaving a heavy sigh as he could finally see their destination he had to stop himself from whimpering and stomping away like a little kid. But he had to hold it in. He needed to do this, he needed to prove himself to everyone. This is just an obstacle he needed to face.

But he almost took back his words when he saw the manga department. It looked like garbage, he swore there was a dead body lying on the floor just a few feet away from him.

"Oh my gods. I totally forgot it was the end of the cycle!" Jungsoo tried to whisper to himself, but Hyukjae and almost everyone in the room heard him, if they were awake that is. 

"End of what?" he asked, still shocked with the state of the office he was about to join. Is this even an office for goodness sake?

"I-i think you should ask Donghae-ssi. The head of manga department. Uhm his table is on the far end of the office. So uh.. enjoy your stay here." And with a half-hearted smile scampered away from the office. 

Leaving Hyukjae alone, in this dump of an office. 

He was contemplating whether to follow Jungsoo out and never go back ever again or to actually face this head on. He begrudgingly chose the latter and stomped inside the office. Carefully ignoring the bodies tiredly slumped on desks and floor he made his way towards the table at the end of the office. 

There he saw another bpdy slumped on his desk but compared to others he still looked quite decent, despite the obvious bags under his eyes. 

The man looked handsome, no he is here for work. And he has been successfully kept those things out of his mind for a long time.

Hyukjae cleared his throat and tapped the sleeping male. 

Thankfully the male woke up and sleepily looked up. 

"If you're from the printing department then I can only tell you that were jist waiting for the last author to submit then were good to go. Now go away ill personally deliver it to you later." the male was on a roll and Hyukjae cannot even speak in between. 

But he was not going to let the guy fall asleep. 

"Sorry. But I'm not from the printing department. I'm Lee Hyukjae the new employee." he tried not to sound so bitter about it but by looking at the male's now interested gaze at him he figured he was unsuccesful.

"Hmm. New employee huh. So tell me newbie, have you ever edited a manga before?" Hyukjae shook his head. 

"Ever got to work at the manga department?" Another shake.

"Ever read a manga at least?" he shook his head. No, i think they're garbage.

The male looked at him, almost wondering why the hell was he even here. 

At least Im not the only one thinking that way.

"Useless." the brunette male mumbled below him. And Hyukjae almost saw red. He did not like this guy not one single bit.

"Donghae-ssi! Emergency! Dara is still not finished with the output! She says she is down with flu!" a male who had just received a phone call shouted panickly.

The whole office went to chaos and almost everyone shouted in urgency and panic. The only one who stayed quiet was the man he was talking to. 

"Quiet everyone! I'm going to her house and get that thing by 9 pm whether she likes it or not!You, newbie, come with me. Lets see what you can do. "

Hyukjae is this close to banging his head tp the nearest wall. How had his life ended like this?

A/N: so this chapter is going to be in two parts since im still trying to finish the latter part. But anyway i just had to get this out of my system. And excuse me for the grammar errors. Thank you again for reading. 💝