"Good morning everyone. It's an honor to be in front of you today."

Tao opened the conference as the board of directors had come to a final decision. Once again, all the employees were in the conference hall to witness the agenda. The company needs a new head already since their CEO's condition got worse. He's very weak to handle the company now. Though he went abroad to take medications from experts and well known doctors, they advised him to take a rest and don't force himself to work for good. 

"As we all know, our CEO had already retired from work early due to medical conditions. Nevertheless, our company neads a person who will strongly hold us from all our competitors."

Tao paused for a while and a wide smile escaped his lips. Minmi noticed this while sitting in a corner of the hall together with Eunji, Kihyun and Shownu on the other end. She got nervous all of a sudden and her heart shrinked for no reason. She looked down and put her hand above her chest. Eunji looked at her worriedly. 

"Eo? Gwaenchanha Mimi ah?"

"Ah.. Ne." 

She smiled a bit to calm her bestfriend but deep inside, her heart kept hurting like she couldn't breathe. 

"Our CEO personally, together with the board of directors have come to a decision of who will be that person from now on... Please welcome our new CEO, Ms. Park Hyeri."

The hall was filled with clap and happy faces to welcome their new CEO. There stood a tall girl with a long blonde hair flowing beautifully passed through her shoulders. She wore a three-fourths plain black dress. It was a knee length one with a lacey design on areas at the back, and on the arms that made her look very elegant. At the opposite corner of the hall where her group was seated, Sunhwa was alarmed and widened her cat eyes when the new CEO went up on the mini platform. At first, she wasn't paying attention to the conference and found it  very boring.

"Hello everyone. I'm Park Hyeri. Nice to meet you all."

She bowed and smiled sweetly to all which made the employees fall for her charm instantly. They noticed that her english accent was very good, a proof that maybe she's from a well known family. But to Minmi who stared at her for a long time, she couldn't deny the fact that she knew she's the CEO's granddaughter. Kihyun and Eunji also knew that and most especially Tao. She's a year older than them and she's from their sister school. It's just that Hyeri left the country early in middle school. And now she's really back. 

"Omo. It's Hyeri noona! She's pretty than ever... " Kihyun's jaw dropped at the sight of her. Shownu suddenly stood up and exited the hall which left Kihyun puzzled. Eunji, on the other hand, didn't know how to feel especially for Minmi. She saddened a bit when she saw her bestfriend's face... A face painted with sadness. Minmi was staring blankly at Tao and Hyeri smiling at each other at the mini platform. 

"Mimi ah~"

Minmi snapped out from her thoughts when Eunji patted her back. 

"Oh.."

"The conference ended already.. Kaja."

"Ah ne."

Minmi also stood up and followed Eunji exiting the hall. She was spacing out and that didn't escape Eunji's eyes. 

"Welcome back, noona." Tao beamed as he walked with Hyeri. 

"Yeah. And what a small world. We've got you here." She smiled back. 

Tao couldn't hide his excitement because the girl he admired very much was in front of him again. 

"Ye noona. My grandfather brought me here. Or should I say... Fate brought me here?"

"Aigoo. You're still the cheesy guy back then."

Hyeri let out a chuckle. Tao also laughed realizing what he just said. He thought he's too obvious again to her. He couldn't confess just right now. Rather, he's waiting for the perfect time. 

Minmi was gloomy until lunch time came. She closed her folder and paused for a moment. She strongly believed that Tao wouldn't forget eating lunch with her. Even with Hyeri's presence, she still hoped. 

"Mimi ah, wanna join us?" Eunji smiled as she stopped in front of her.

"Ahm. Go ahead Jiji ah.. Tao said.. we'll be eating lunch together." Minmi replied and smiled a bit. 

"Arasseo. We'll go ahead." 

Thirty minutes had passed and Tao didn't arrive yet. Minmi was about to wait for a little longer but she realized that lunch break would end up soon so she decided to made her way to the canteen. Her grumbling stomach said the same too. She got a tray of food and happily skipped to her friends' table. In a way, her heavy feeling lightened a bit after seeing them. 

"Can I join?" Minmi playfully asked them. 

"Aigoo. Of course. No..." Kihyun joked, earning a hit from her in the arm. 

"Ehh.. I'm just kidding." Kihyun pouted. 

"Ehh.. That's what you get." 

Eunji laughed. She's finally relieved that Minmi joined them. But she could still see the hurt in her eyes no matter how she hides it. She smiled at them and began eating. Shownu, who's beside Kihyun didn't pay attention to them and just ate silently. Although, he was with them, Minmi had already adapted the atmosphere whenever he's around since she had Kihyun and Eunji. But maybe when she's left alone with him again, she wasn't sure yet of what's going to happen. 

"Wae you're not with Tao sajangnim?"

Kihyun asked, causing Minmi to stopped eating for a moment. 

"Ah. He said that he has an important matter to attend to." She lied. 

"Ah. Arasseo. Maybe he's assisting Hyeri noona.. I mean Hyeri sajangnim...since it's her first day at work."

"M-maybe.."

Minmi scooped a spoonful in her bowl and put it in . She savored it and let everything in her mind dominated by the taste of the food. 

"Pretty delicious." She smiled at them. 

After the break, Minmi went to the makeup room. On her way, she stopped on her tracks when she saw Tao and Hyeri also walking towards her direction. They were happily talking with each other. Guess Kihyun was right. She decided to turn back and avoid them but Tao noticed her immediately. 

"Oh.. Minmi ah.. Wait for a second."

Tao jogged to stop her and soon they faced each other. 

"Glad I saw you. I went in your work room but you're not there anymore."

'Yeah, right. Too late for a lunch break.' She thought. 

"By the way, do you remember Hyeri noona?"

"Ah n-ne." She smiled a bit and later Hyeri joined them. 

"Annyeonghaseyo sajangnim." Minmi bowed politely to her. 

"Eo? Omo. Minmi? You're also here?" Hyeri was surprised. "Ne sajangnim."

"Aigoo. Dongsaeng ah, you've gotten more beautiful. And also, dropped that honorifics for me. Eonni is fine. Like the old days, remember?" She smiled. 

"Ne. A-aniyo, eonni. You're more prettier." She smiled back a bit. 

"She also works here as our top news anchor." Tao added. "Oh. That's amazing. I heard dongsaeng was really a top student back then. No wonder." 

Hyeri was amazed. Minmi shaked her head and shyly responded that it wasn't that much to be proud of. 

"Anyway, I've got to go dongsaeng ah. I have some business meetings to attend. See you around."

Hyeri said her goodbye first and Tao also followed. Minmi bowed to them and watched them leaving together. She looked down and a pain crept up to her chest as memories flashed back in her mind where she felt the same kind of pain for the very first time. 

"Mimi ah!" Tao slung his arm at Minmi's shoulder as he catched up with his bestfriend. 

"Wae?" 

"You already heard the news?"

"What news?"

"Aigoo.. You never paid attention to school activities Mimi. Our sister school, Daewoon University will be here for a sports match. Isn't it cool?" Tao said excitedly. 

"Jinjja? That's fun." 

Minmi replied shortly with a poker face which caused Tao to puff his cheeks. 

"Aigoo. I'm just joking." Minmi laughed when she noticed his face. 

The two then went on the gym that was now crowded with students. Some of them were athletes while the others were also there to witness the game. They walked beside the court to find seats when Minmi heard a yelp coming from Tao who's behind her. 

"Omo. Joseonghamnida. Are you hurt really hard?"

A girl in a badminton suit approached Tao and Minmi. Tao rubbed his right eye which was hit by the shuttlecock. 

"I'm really sorry. I wasn't being careful."

When Tao regained his sight, his cheeks suddenly got red when he saw the face of the girl. Tao fell in love with her at first sight. He was mesmerized by her beauty that left him speechless. 

"Tao. Are you okay? Tao?" Minmi shook his arm and this woke up Tao. 

"Ah. M-mianhae... I'm okay. Don't w-worry." 

He assured the two or more likely the badminton player whom he couldn't still remove his eyes to. 

"Thank you. I'm really sorry again."

She bowed to both of them and soon went to her co-players. Tao and Minmi continued on finding seats and luckily they still found vacant seats on the center part. The Badminton game category started first. That's when Tao finally knew that the girl was from Daewoon University. She's a year older than them. When the announcer introduced them, he paid very much attention to hear what's her name. 

"Park Hyeri... " He muttered smilingly. 

He cheered whenever Hyeri scores and really satisfied with the result when she won the game. He stood up and cheered when the winner was announced. 

" Yeah!" He threw a punch in the air, causing his schoolmates to look at him weirdly especially Minmi."Yah~ sit down.." Minmi said, embarrassed by his actions. "Do you want us to get in trouble? You're supposed to be cheering for our school. Not them. Aigoo..."

She facepalmed while Tao hide too and forced to sit down. He just couldn't contain his happiness for her. 

After the match between the two schools, the two went home already. Minmi noticed Tao smiling like an idiot for the first time. 

"Why you're smiling like that? It's creepy, you know."

"Guess what Mimi ah. I think I already found her."

"Found.. w-who?"

"My soulmate. I just saw her a while ago in school. At the game..."

The way Tao said it seriously made her heart dropped in a second. She knew it. The girl who hit him with the shuttlecock. It's her first time too seeing Tao blushed in front of a girl. 

"Her name is Park Hyeri. Park Hyeri noona..."

"Eo? That's good. Good." Minmi chuckled. "So you still believe in soulmates, huh?" 

"Ne. And I felt that so called connection the moment I saw her."

"Hmm. I see." Minmi looked the other way to hide her face. Good thing was that it's also quite dark already. Her tears might fall in any minute. 

"Aren't you happy for me?" Tao smiled as he faced her when they're already in front of Minmi's house. 

"O-of course. Of course! I'm happy for you. Who said I am not?" She forced a smile and tried to look at him directly. 

"Thank you Mimi ah!" He hugged her all of a sudden. "I know you'll help me win her, right?" 

Minmi paused for a while. He's asking her the unexpected thing that didn't cross her mind for tonight. 

"...... Ne." 

A single tear escaped her eye and landed on his back. She broke the hug and laughed dryly as she looked down. 

"I'm going in now. Take care." She curtly said as she hurriedly entered their house. 

"Thanks again, Mimi!" 

Tao yelled but Minmi didn't turn her back anymore. Her now blurry eyes explained it all. She went directly to her room and let all her feelings out. How did she play as the best friend in the world while hurting? She endured it all along. She would do anything for Tao as long as he's happy. Whenever there's an event involving their school and Daewoon University, Tao always nagged Minmi to find Hyeri. There's one time that Minmi approached Hyeri just for Tao to personally meet her. And that's the time they finally knew each other. However, Hyeri disappeared suddenly that saddened Tao the most. They haven't seen her even in inter-school activities. Just so they know, she was already sent abroad to continue her studies. Minmi got also sad for Tao. Seeing him so depressed made her heart ached. She tried to cheer him up all time until he regained his smile again. But that was when Minmi promised him one thing... A promise that will surely break her heart soon into pieces. Something she regretted back then... Something she hoped that never escaped her lips...

"When she comes back... I'll help you win her heart again."

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