Dara used her finger to look for the title of the book Suzy is asking her to buy on the long row of bookshelves inside the bookstore she went inside to in the mall. It was Monday and already 5 in the afternoon. Mr. Kraz ordered her to buy some school supplies and she grudgingly stood up to do the errand. Suzy then asked her if she could buy a book she had been wanting to get her hands on for so long but just couldn’t find the time. Where she’s going to find it, she has no idea as Suzy didn’t tell what genre that book is. She bet it was Romance.

Bookstores aren’t a stranger to her. She had loved reading. She remembered she used to go to any bookstores she could find to read literature and some Journalism articles whenever she doesn’t have any classes . But she had forgotten that hobby when she had graduated. Now it’s like coming back home.

After finding the book Suzy was looking for and lugging a basket with the school supplies Mr. Kraz wanted her to buy (without even giving her any money), she started to walk on the aisle just looking, browsing some books wondering if she would need to read a book to re-charge her brain. She breathed in the scent suddenly feeling all the stress lifting off her. It’s so good to be herself even just for today and wouldn’t have to act like a clingy, pathetic, whining girlfriend. She hasn’t heard anything from Donghae since last night. Not even a text. She wondered if he was cooking up something. Well, whatever he does, she’s going to counter it. She’s just relieved to be herself today. Acting is so tiring.

Her eyes caught sight of a book at the top middle shelf with a dark color on its bindings and she reached out for it. A hand settled on top of the book the same time her hand caught the bottom. She didn’t let go. But the hand didn’t let go either. She looked at the person the hand belonged to and shot a glare. It was a guy in a suit. Tall with milky white skin. A face with a tinge of a feminine feature. His hair on a sideswept fringe making him look more like an anime character.

“Let go,” Dara said nudging the book.

“Sorry miss, I really need this,” the guy said apologetically holding on to it tight.

“I got it first! Can’t you just ask for another one?”

“I already asked and they only got one left and this is it.”

“Listen Mr. Cloud,” Dara said referencing a character from Final Fantasy. “I got it first, so I will have it first. Anybody ever told you first come first serve?” It doesn’t even matter what book this is. She will get it.

The guy looked at him then sighed. He dropped his hand. “Okay. I’m sorry,” he apologized then said in a lopsided smile. “I don’t usually fight with girls… even argue with them.”

Dara took the book. “Good for you.” She turned to walk off but the guy came right behind her.

“Any books you might want to recommend?”

Dara looked at him wryly and saw his worried expression. Then he smiled a little. “Sorry, I’m really desperate. My cousin will have her birthday tomorrow and she wanted a book. That book. And this is the only free time I had so I couldn’t look for other stores or even have time to search for another one thinking if she might like it. She will bust a vein if I show up on her birthday without anything.”

“Are you serious?”  Dara said. “Just go and buy her anything else. It’s the thought that counts.”

“I know but you don’t know my cousin. Formidable little brat. So just… any book that you think she will like? I just need a title or an author.”

Dara stared at the guy’s earnest expression. He must’ve been such a loser to even go so far as trying to find a litte brat a book for her birthday. She sighed and handed him the book they were hanging on to earlier. “Here.”

The guy reluctantly took it. “You sure?”

“Yeah, just look at it as my good deed,” she said rolling her eyes. Besides, she doesn’t even know if she had enough money with her to buy it.

“Thank you. Thank you so much!” He hurried off to the counter, Dara following close behind, lugging the basket of the supplies and Suzy’s book on the counter. The cashier rang off his book and the guy saw her unloading the rim of bond papers, pencils, rulers, pens, carboards, indexes onto the counter.

“You can ring hers too,” the guy said to the cashier giving his credit card again.

Dara looked at him. “No, I can pay for these.” No that wasn’t really true. There’s no telling if Mr. Kraz will pay her. She should’ve kept shut and her pride down.

“It’s okay,” the guy said smiling kindly. “Just a… thank you for a good deed.” After entering the items and charging it on the guy’s credit card, the cashier returned the card to him and he smiled at Dara.

“I’ll be going now. Thanks again.” He strode off holding the bag where the book is.

What a weird guy. She looked at the cashier who was blushing. “He is so cute,” the cashier said putting all her supplies in a bag.

“Yeah,” Dara said absentmindedly before lugging the bag out of the store to get back on CSW. When she arrived, the office was immaculately clean of any clutter. Bo took the bag from her and shoved it inside a closet.

“What’s happening?”

“A client is going to visit. It’ll be huge deal if CSW would be able to sign him on,” Bo explained.

“Client?” She sat in her seat when Mr. Kraz walked out of his office clapping to get their attention.

“Get busy team. We don’t want anyone thinking we’re slacking off. Mei, get me the program for the music show next month. We need to work double time on that. Bo, the sequence of that awards show, I want it on my desk now!” Mr. Kraz barked his orders before going inside his office again and still, Dara couldn’t understand what is happening. She Suzy who was seated beside her. Her desk is actually at the front but she opted to sit next to the empty desk beside Dara.

“What the hell is going on?” She whispered.

“Kim Jaejoong is coming to visit. Do you know him?  He owns the biggest communication network in all of asia and some parts overseas. If the deal gets done, CSW could go international. So Mr. Kraz is getting all antsy. From what I hear, Kim Jaejoong is rarely in the country so impressing him anytime is impossible. He comes to visit today so it has to be today. Kinda like a now or never kind of thing.”

“Okaaay and… what makes Mr. Kraz think impressing him with clean desks will work? Doesn’t he know it would make us look like lazy, overpaid, bums? Honestly, I got more brains than him.”

Suzy giggled. “He wasn’t thinking. Apparently, Kim Jaejoong just arrived from HongKong and decided to drop by at the last minute. When Mr. Kraz got a call from CEO’s secretary, he’s on a panic mode.”

“Ugh, like the whole future of CSW depends on him.”  Dara rolled her eyes.

It took for about two hours of being silent in the office with only a scratch of a pen being heard and Dara looking out at the blinds seeing it was already dark when there was a commotion outside.

“Oh my god, they’re here.” Mei went to Mr. Kraz’ office to inform him and he went out with a suit and a tie looking neat and everybit of a manager. Dara held her snort. What a fake.

Mr. Kraz went to meet the guests and Dara craned her neck. She saw CEO Siwon and she guessed the other guy obscured by the printings on the glass wall was the Kim Jaejoong. She turned her attention back to the script she was working on about the segment for a morning show. She vaguely heard Mr. Kraz entering their office and introducing the team.

“These are my team. We work on sequencing of a show, scriptwriting of course, and we also work with the team In Filming.”

Dara rolled her eyes as Mr. Kraz introduced the team in general, only mentioning the leader and the sub leader. Even Mr. Kraz’s voice sound so fake. She had never heard him talk except snarling.

“We also have trainees here. We have three of them.”

He called their names and Dara looked up when her name was called and met the eyes of the tall, feminine shaped face guy she met at the bookstore. He looked surprised to see her.

“It’s you,” he said smiling.

Mr. Kraz’s momentarily got flustered as he looked at Dara. Dara froze in her seat. Is she supposed to acknowledge that they met?

“You know Dara?” Siwon asked.

“Yea, I met her at the bookstore earlier,” Jaejoong said still smiling at her. “Nice to see you again, Dara.” He nodded at her before resuming his walk to visit the other departments. Mr. Kraz walking behind them.

And all hell broke loose.

“You know him?” Suzy squealed quietly.

“He is so cute!”

“So handsome!”

“He is hot!”

“No, I don’t know him so stop squealing like little pigs!”  Dara said. “I just met him at the bookstore and I didn’t know he was some big-shot man around here.”

“Why? Did you do anything to him?” Suzy asked suspiciously.

“Now I wish I was the one to buy the supplies,”  she heard a trainee said.

“No,” Dara asnwered Suzy. “Why do you always think that? I did him a good deed. That’s why he remembered me. Do you think he would smile at me if I kicked him at a bookstore?” She rolled her eyes. Suzy is always thinking she’s always violent.

“Uh… yeah, he would definitely remember you more if you kicked him.”

“Well he remembered me more because he saw the kindness of my heart,” Dara said glaring at her friend.

When word got around that Kim Jaejoong already left the building with their CEO Choi Siwon, clusters of noise erupted, all wanting to go home. Dara was one of them. After giving Suzy her book, Dara went to the bus stop to go home and sleep. She didn’t even have time to think when she hit her bed as she was already snoring.

The next morning was grueling. She received a call from Mr. Kraz to get there early as they are going to shoot an afternoon segment to be aired on the weekend. She should’ve known they are going to work as a model-employee that day as Kim Jaejoong had watched the filming. She is starting to hate Kim Jaejoong. After several revisions on the scripts, she passed it on to Mei for error-check then sat down near the stool as the director called for order.

She exhaled in a puff. She’s been so busy she forgot to wonder why Donghae is going incommunicado the past two days.

“Tired?”

Dara’s head turned and saw Jaejoong standing beside her with a smile on his face.

“Uh…no,” Dara said trying to remember to regard him with respect.

Jaejoong lifted his hand and offered her a can of coke. Well, she was really thirsty. Who was she to refuse? She took it thanking him before opening the can and taking a big gulp.

“So… did your cousin like the book?” Dara asked awkwardly trying for some small talk.

“I haven’t given it to her yet. Tonight’s her small party.” He smiled at her again. “Thank you again. I just confirmed from my grandmother that it was really the book she wants.”

“What was the title of the book again?”

“I really don’t remember. Haven’t looked at it.” Jaejoong looked at her in confusion. “Aren’t you wanting to get that book too?”

Dara shrugged. “I don’t really know what the hell it is. I just thought it was fun to fight over it.”

Jaejoong just looked at her like she was some space alien. Was that the wrong thing to say? But before she could dwell on how goes off without filter again, he laughed. Dara’s mouth lifted at the corners realizing how stupid the reason must’ve been.

“Your cousin reads a lot?” Dara asked after a moment, now feeling comfortable.

“Only when it’s her favorite authors, then there’s no bothering her.”

“How old is she?”

“23 turning 24 tonight.”

“24?” Dara repeated in disbelief. “Sheesh, by the way you were going on I thought she was only 10 or something.”

Jaejoong smirked. “Chaerin is a spoiled little brat. And the family loves her. She’s the only girl who had graced our entire family so all we treat her like a baby.”

Dara nodded suddenly remembering her brother. Back when they were well off, they give him everything he asked. No matter how stupid it is or how useless.

The director called for a break.

“You want to go have coffee?” Jaejoong asked suddenly.

Dara looked at him with narrowed eyes. “Your treat?”

Jajeoong chuckled. “Yes, my treat.”

“Lead the way.”

They went to the nearest StarBucks and Dara ordered a Capuccino and Jaejoong a Latte. Dara thought they only came here to buy the coffee but Jaejoong went to sit on a chair next to the glass window. Dara sat across from him, glancing at her watch. She’s only on a 15 minute break. Mr. Kraz will have her hide if she disappeared for more than 15 minutes no matter if her presence is called for or not.

“It’s been so long since I came back here,” Jaejoong mused looking out. “It has already been 5 years since the last time I visited. Everything’s changed.”

“Yeah,”  Dara agreed wanting to get the conversation over with so they could get back. Did this guy have to pick this time to reminisce?

Jaejoong looked at her. “You sure don’t want to eat anything?”

“No, I’m good.” Then she added remembering her manners. “Thank you.”

Jaejoong just stared outside the glass window again and