Chapter One

Working at a company is never easy, especially at Kwon Industries, one of the biggest industries in South Korea. In my total of two years of working there, I have seen a total of six hundred people fired and hired. So, what do I do to survive in this dangerous world of business? 

Well, let me introduce myself first.

My name is Kim Mi Kyong. 25. I work part-time in the design department of Kwon Industries.

I like to think that I'm doing great and important things in the design department, but if I am honest to myself and others, I am not.

"POST-IT!" my boss yelled at me from across the entire workplace. "BRING ME A COFFEE, OKAY?"

I smile brightly at him, looking up from my computer. "YES, BOSS!"

"OH, ME TOO!"

"CAN YOU GET ME ONE TOO?"

Voices just clamored all around me and started demanding things. I stood up, smile still plastered on my face as I took out my phone and started taking orders like a waitress.

Once I got everybody's order, I started to walk out the door, my purse slung on my shoulder, but then somebody handed me a stack of papers. I looked up at the person and she gave me a sympathetic smile.

"Can you please photocopy this for me? I'm so sorry. I have to step out for a meeting so if you could, that would be great," she said. My heart felt bad for her and I snuffed out my "no".

"Of course," I said, smiling at her. "Good luck at the meeting. Fighting!" She smiled appreciatively at me and left. I sighed and metally hit myself.

"Kim Mi Kyong...why can't you just say 'no'?" I muttered to myself.

---

A few hours later, I walked through the front glass doors of the building, my arms were filled with various pastries and coffee trays that my colleauges requested. The photocopied documents were in my bag. I struggled as I walked into the lobby towards the elevator, my arms dying.

Come on, just a few steps more and you'll be in the elevator.... Kim Mi Kyong, fighting!

I gave a little sigh and looked at the closing elevator. Wait. What? Closing elevator.

No!

"Wait! Wait a second, please!" I cried to the people inside the elevator. No one gave me a glance or even acknowledged that they heard what I said. I ran as fast as I could with all the stuff in my arms. My arms felt like they were lifting ane elephant, and my purse felt six time heavier for some unknown reason.

The elevator was almost completely closed, but I slammed my foot in between the doors just in time for it to reopen again.

The occupants gave me annoyed looks and glares as I smiled apologetically at them.

"I'm so sorry," I apologized. I walked in the crowded elevator, trying to find a space to stand in the already cramped area. I wrinkled my nose, trying to lift my glasses up to the bridge of my nose. I stood awkwardly at the front of the elevator, like an awkward blockade. I saw that the number to my floor was already pushed and sighed in relief. The last thing I needed was to attempt to push the elevator button and end up spilling coffees all over the elevator.

"Excuse me?" someone asked me, tapping my shoulder. I jumped a little, startled. People don't usually talk to me, unless they're asking me to do something for them.

"Yes?" I asked, turning my head around. I gasped a little as I met the eyes of Kim Hyun Joong, a fellow colleague in the design department. He was extremely handsome, and my breath escaped me as our eyes met. I felt like that one awkward and isolated girl talking to her high school crush for the first time.

"Do you-do you need help with that?" he asked me, motioning to the baggage I carried. I was shocked. Not once, in my two years of working at Kwon Industries, had someone ever asked me I needed help with anything. I was touched.

"Um, well.... You don't have to," I replied, somewhat shyly. "I don't want to bother you." I felt the urge to slip some hair behind my ear, a nervous habit of mine, but I couldn't risk dropping anything.

He laughed at me, and my cheeks felt hot. "Well, it wouldn't be a bother. In fact, I was the one who bothered you first, right?"

I chuckled weakly along with him. "Point taken." He took all the pastries from my load and I was just left with the coffee trays.

Ding!

We reached our floor.

Silently, we walked in step towards my desk. He placed all the pastries onto it as I put the coffee trays.

"Thank you," I said shyly, looking down at the floor and putting a piece of hair behind my ear.

"No problem," he told me, smiling. "You shouldn't carry all of that alone. In fact, you shouldn't be carrying all of this at all. You're not an intern. Learn to say no sometimes, Miss Kim," he told me wisely. I just smiled back and nodded. This was something I heard, and said, many many times.

"I'll keep your words in mind."

He nodded. "Please do. Well, then.... I should get back to my desk." He turned to leave but I stopped him.

"Wait!"

He turned back and gave me a questioning stare. "Yes?"

I grabbed a coffee, one that was supposed to be mine, and handed it to him. "Here. For your troubles." He took the coffee and rewarded me with another breathtaking smile.

"Thanks." With that, he turned around again and walked away. I sighed and then continued to distribute all of the goods I bought to the people who requested it.

"Thanks, Post-it," my boss told me as I handed him his coffee.

"No problem," I told him.

"Just leave a note of how much all of this cost and I'll make the others pay it," he told me.

"No it's okay," I protested. "It's my treat.:"

He laughed and shook his head. "Nah. We might as well pay you for the service you do even when you have work to do."

Right. Work. I still have to type up the notes one of my co-workers gave me from some meeting....

"Well then, I should get back to work," I said, making my way to the door.

"Thanks again, Post-it!"

I walked out of his office and started heading towards the small lounge on our floor. This was where the design and entertainment department hung out during their breaks. I just went there to make instant coffee. I didn't have time to hang out. What with all the other things my colleauges request of me.

"Yah, Kim Mi Kyong!" I heard a familiar voice call as I grabbed an instant coffee package. I turned around. It was Lee Chae Rin, my best friend and roommate. She worked part-time in the entertaiment department.

"Chae Rin-ah," I greeted her as I opened the package and poured the powder into the mug in front of me. 

"Unnie, what's this I hear about you still doing everything your colleagues ask you to do?" she demanded, sounding angry. If there was someone who wanted me to stop doing what people told me to do other than myself, it was Chae Rin.

I sighed and poured some hot water into the mug, grabbed a spoon, and stirred. "Listen, it was just for today.... Besides, they're busy and I'm not."

She scoffed. "Busy? As if. Last time I checked, you were up all last night catching up on work that was delayed because you kept doing errands! Also, you told me that same excuse yesterday." She crossed her arms.

"I'm working on it, okay?" I told her. "I'll say 'no' tomorrow. Promise."

"Really?"

I nodded. She stuck out her pinky finger to me. I smiled while playfully rolling my eyes and linked pinkies with her.

"You promised." 

"Alright, alright," I said.

"Anyways, did you hear what happened today?" she asked me, her face and tone brightening. I thought back and realized I hadn't.

"No. What happened?" I asked her, sipping at my coffee.

"So we were shooting a commercial for the new hair shampoo, and it wasn't going that well. The director wasn't strict enough with the actress, and that actress was a piece of work.... I felt like going there and ripping her hair out.... Anyways, the CEO, you know him, right? Kwon Jiyong? He just walked in and told everyone off. He seemed in a rather cranky mood. Not that he always isn't...." she gossiped.

"Kwon Jiyong?" I asked, confused. "We have a new CEO?" Chae Rin rolled her eyes at me.

"Where have you been for the last six months, unnie?"

Running errands.

"EVERYBODY GATHER AROUND PLEASE!" my boss called out to everyone. "WE'RE ABOUT TO MAKE A DRAW FOR THE LUCKY EMPLOYEE WHO GETS TO GO ON VACATION TO BALI FOR TWO!"

"Bali?" Chae Rin asked. "Wow. They're going big this year." Every August, the design department did a draw for a lucky employee to take someone with them on vacation for three days and two nights. For the past two years, the destination had been Jeju Island, so Bali was a huge leap.

"Maybe you'll win, unnie!" she said excitedly, shaking my arm a little, breaking me from my thoughts. I rolled my eyes.

"You know I have no luck with these things, Chae Rin-ah," I muttered, but she ignored my protests and pushed me out.

"Luck can change, unnie. And I have a feeling that it will this time," she said to me. I rolled my eyes, but played along.

"Alright, so the lucky employee to go to Bali for three days and two nights with a friend is...." my boss said, sticking his hand in the bowl full of names. A lot of people shook with anticipation, but I just looked on.

"Our very own post-it, Kim Mi Kyong-ssi!"

What?

"UNNIE! YOU WON!!!" Chae Rin cheered. My eyes went wide. 

What?

"Did that really just happen, Chae Rin-ah? Is this a dream?" I asked her, shocked.

"NO! UNNIE, WE'RE GOING TO BALI!" she was more excited than I. I smiled as she did a little dance, and for the second time that day, someone tapped me on the shoulder.

I turned around and saw that it was Hyun Joong, and the weird butterfly feeling was back.

"Congrats on winning, Miss Kim," he congratulated me, smiling. "How do you feel about having dinner together to celebrate?"

I smiled and nodded.

Little did I knowm, my life would change drastically in the next month.

---

Hello again!

So there's no Jiyong in this chapter :(

I just thought I would introduce Mi Kyong to you guys first, and then introduce Jiyong. 

JI YONG WILL BE IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!

PLEASE COMMENT, UPVOTE, SUBSCRIBE, ETC, ETC.

~ asthelastpetalfalls_