"__________________, we're here."

I let my eyes slowly open and adjust to the light before trying to even attempt to lift my head up off of Mark's shoulder. His hands were still tightly wrapped around mine and I could tell by his slow breathing that he was also passed out with his head laying on mine. Luhan was on the other side, shaking me awake.
"5 more minutes," I swatted his hand away, pressing myself closer to Mark, who took his hands off mine only so he could wrap his arms around me.
"Listen to your boss, Luhan," he mumbled into my hair. "The lady said 5 more minutes."

"We don't have 5 more minutes!" Luhan's finger poked my side, sending me flailing backwards. My head landed on his lap, making his entire face glow red. "W-we need to go. Now. Everyone else is already there and everything has been set up. They're just waiting on you."
"Oh crap! This one's that meeting, isn't it?" I shot back up, slipping my heels back on. Luhan let out a sigh and opened the door on his side, grabbing my hand as I almost tumbled out of the car.
"Yes, it's that meeting. Now hurry up!"
"You could've mentioned that it was that meeting! What kind of an assistant are you?" I jogged to catch up to his long strides, not even noticing that Mark was also walking beside me. 
"I'm your assistant, not your babysitter."
"And as my assistant, you couldn't take like 2 seconds to tell me that the meeting I was going to is probably the most important one so far?"

We all ran into the building and straight into the elevator. Luhan shrugged and punched the floor number as I leaned on the walls, trying to ignore the sharp pain shooting through my foot with every step I took. I'm pretty sure by now, my blisters had blisters.

"We're in a broadcasting station," Mark said as the doors dinged open and we got off. "Strange place to have a business meeting..."
"My meeting's not with business people. It's more like with the general public."
"Yeah, try the entire world."
"Not helping," I grumbled, fighting every urge I had of running my elbow into his stomach. "I'm nervous as it is, and my hair and make up probably look like I walked through a blender since I napped in the car."
"You look fine," Mark patted my head again, following me into my waiting room. A guy in a red baseball cap and black puffy vest walked in with a clipboard in hand. "You're on in 5 minutes. We'll come get you when it's time so wait here until then."

"That was fast," I stared blankly at the closed door, trying to even my breathing. Presenting a project to 20 people in a lab is doable. Talking about a company I had no idea I was even apart of until 6 months ago honestly seemed impossible.
"We got here late remember?" Luhan flicked my forehead then sat down in the chair next to me. "And calm down. You're gonna be fine."
"Easy for you to say..."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Mark tilted his head in the direction of the door. I nodded. "If they let you."
"If he's going in there, then so am I," Luhan stood up and grabbed my hand as the door opened again. The same guy nodded at me then spoke into the headset he had on while waving his hand at me at the same time. I took another deep breath then followed him out with Luhan and Mark at my tail. The 4 of us walked down long, white hallways lined with marked doors, making turns here and there until we finally reached a set of double doors. Even from outside, I could hear the low buzz of voices and the occassional click of a camera as if they were all right next to me. My shoulders instantly tensed up.

"It's gonna be fine," Luhan said while keeping his eyes on the doors. "You're not going in there to announce some hidden crime that you did. You're going in there to fix it. You did nothing wrong."
"I technically am going in there to announce a crime though."
"You know what I mean."

I found myself smiling even as I watched the red baseball hat guy speak into his headset and nod a couple of times. He didn't even have to signal me or do anything. I knew what was coming.

"Ok they're ready. When you go through the doors, the reporters may come swarming around you but don't worry we have security in there. Just keep walking towards the podium."

"They might swarm her?" I heard Mark hiss from behind me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Luhan shrug. "Wouldn't be the first time that's happened."
"Wha-"

I didn't wait around for Mark to start asking a million questions. Or rather, I couldn't really bring myself to wait around.
It was now or never, and I felt like if I didn't start walking towards those doors immediately, I would definitely chicken out.
So I just kinda...left them behind.

Author's Note
chapter title: Beginning-BACK-ON [x]
if you guys haven't caught on, the story's coming to an end :(
but don't worry! :D i think i'm gonna be starting a mini story after this one inspired by an anime/music video i saw over winter break hehe ^^