A/N: It's complete fluff. LOL. Also written at my not best, so please be kind. And thank you to everyone who helped make this a featured story!

“I really don’t know how she was hired, Wendy.”

 

Seulgi slammed the figures onto Wendy’s desk, the immaculate figures of Seulgi’s pristine department marred by a singular red line. Picking the papers up, Wendy eyed the red carefully, raising a brow at the low numbers before tracing her eyes back towards the name.

 

Irene Bae.

 

Pursing her lips, she placed the stack of papers down and looked at her irate general manager, Seulgi frowning and pushing at her paperweights like they had personally attacked her and her effort to keep the department the most successful of the Son business empire. She picked up her phone, put up a hand to shush Seulgi’s incoming complaints and spoke into the speaker clearly, her assistant on the other hand garbling her understanding.

 

“Could you get me the files of an employee, Irene Bae, please?”

 

The phone was returned to the cradle and she finally addressed the other woman, Seulgi’s eyes glinting as she took the papers back from Wendy.

 

“I’ll investigate the matter, Seulgi. Just make sure to keep an eye on her for now?”

 

Seulgi was evidently not mollified but nodded in agreement anyways, her lips turned downwards unhappily.

 

“Yes, sure. But really, Wendy, you have to check. And maybe fire the HR manager who hired her in the first place. Miss Irene is clearly not cut out for sales.”

 

Wendy laced her fingers together, eyes drawn back to the singular red line on the papers cradled to Seulgi’s body.

 

“Yes, will do, Seulgi.”

 

*

 

“Are you sure about this, Jin?”

 

Irene eyed the form in front of her, her details filled in Nana’s immaculate handwriting, a photo of her pasted at the left corner of the sheet. The blonde in front of her nodded and pointed at the description eagerly, an easy smile on her lips.

 

“Yeah! You said you wanted regular hours and a better paying job right? This is at the Son’s shopping mall, definitely better paying than the bar you work at now.”

 

Furrowing her brow, Irene picked the paper up like it was diseased and groaned softly at the position.

 

“But it’s for sales, Jin. I’m not a saleslady. I’m a bartender. I make drinks.”

 

Nana waved an indolent hand around and pointed at herself.

 

“That’s what we said about me, remember? But look at me now, department manager.”

 

Sighing, Irene placed the form down and gave her best friend an unamused look.

 

“That’s because you secretly like people. I, on the other hand, prefer not to deal with them.”

 

Scoffing, Nana pushed her bangs away from her face and leant forwards.

 

“Yeah, but you’d need to do that now. You know why you have to quit your job at the bar-”

 

A soft pattering of feet interrupted their conversation, a small girl holding a purple blanket and rubbing at her eyes tugging away at Irene’s leg. Irene abandoned the conversation with Nana immediately and pushed away from the kitchen table, her hands going beneath the girl’s arms and cradling her gently.

 

“Yerim? What is it?”

 

The child continued to rub at her eyes, leaning forward to rest her head in the crook of Irene’s neck. There was a beat, two beats before the child’s breathing evened out, Yerim sleeping soundly in Irene’s arms, her thumb making its way into as she led at it. Smiling softly to herself, Irene shifted in her chair carefully, making a face at Nana when the blonde mocked her playfully, brown eyes filled with mirth that Irene knew not to take offense at.

 

She took a look at the form that her friend had painstakingly gotten for her and the child in her arms and nodded with a sigh, inwardly groaning at the thought of interacting with people.

 

“Fine, I’ll go for the interview.”

 

Grinning, Nana folded the application and placed it in her bag, reaching out to poke Irene in the cheek.

 

“You won’t regret it. Promise.”

 

*

 

No business background.

 

No sales experience.

 

Not even a hint of working anywhere remotely close to a shopping district.

 

Wendy had to frown at the words in front of her.

 

Rubbing at her temples, Wendy wondered yet again how the HR department could hire this woman. Apart from a pretty face, there was really nothing that could have convinced a group of well-trained, no-nonsense HR managers, all of whom would’ve known better than to be taken in by a beautiful woman.

 

(But Irene Bae was indeed beautiful. Blindingly so.)

 

Wendy sighed and closed the file, the brown cover shielding her from the piercing gaze of Irene Bae, a woman whose file was thinner than most and had experience as a bartender.

 

Pushing away from her desk, Wendy smoothed her skirt out and walked out of her office, heels clacking against linoleum floor.

 

Maybe it’s time to visit the stores.

 

*

 

“So, Miss Bae, why do you think you should be hired?”

 

Irene froze, her brain empty and her tongue still. Her fingers clenched at her skirt, creasing the ironed garment minutely as she fumbled for an answer, aware of the dark haired woman’s piercing gaze on her.

 

(She doubted the woman would appreciate if she answered it was because the money was good.

 

Even if it was true.)

 

She could see the slight disapproving look on the interviewer’s face as she continued to ponder on, cleverly hidden behind rimmed glasses and a practiced smile (Irene had long learnt how to dismantle masks and fake smiles. It took one to know another after all.) and it had her heart thumping at a mile a minute. Sniffing gingerly, Irene cleared and spoke softly, a small smile gracing her lips as she decided to speak what’s in her heart.

 

There wasn’t much she had to lose anyways.

 

“Because it’s the best chance I have.”

 

The woman was confused but she covered it with a small cough, her curiousity clearly peaked as she leant forwards.

 

“I’m sorry?”

 

Irene lowered her eyes to the table where her resume was resting and explained quietly.

 

“I recently had a change in my life. It’s sudden and the story behind it is probably quite sad. But nevertheless, it’s an addition that requires me to change how I would be living my life from now on. And for that to happen, I would need to change my job.”

 

She mustered the courage to face the lady eye to eye, quirking her lips slightly higher as she thought about Yerim and the quiet comfort the child brought to her.

 

“That’s the reason why I should be hired. Because it’s the best chance I have to make a change.”

 

The interviewer blinked, her expression slightly dazed and it had Irene raising a brow in confusion when the dark haired woman fumbled around the table and started clearing the papers, the previously stern lady clearly flustered. Maintaining her smile, Irene folded her hands on her lap gracefully and waited for the lady to collect herself, the tall woman breathing in deeply before addressing her. Her demeanour had changed from before, her tone slightly warmer as she spoke to Irene, her words making Irene’s eyes widen.

 

“Well, Miss Bae, then I can only welcome you to the team.”

 

Utterly surprised (because Irene knew she had bombed the interview), Irene barely managed to function like an adult, her hand shaking as she shook the lady’s hand, her legs feeling like jelly as she stood up unsteadily. Her smiled grew bigger and she thanked the lady breathlessly, not noticing the smitten look flashing on the woman’s face.

 

“Thank you, Miss Park!”

 

The lady murmured dazedly, Irene completely missing it as she was too busy celebrating inwardly and thanking Nana at the back of her head.

 

“My pleasure, Miss Bae.”

 

*

 

“Miss Bae?”

 

Wendy felt a stab of guilt when the brunette jolted sharply, her pen clattering on the table, the woman looking way too stressed over a couple of receipts and the logbook. Bowing politely, Irene avoided eye contact with her, her body stiffening further the longer Wendy stared at her.

 

(God must have spent a little more time on her because dear God, she’s gorgeous.)

 

She cleared awkwardly and went closer to the counter, Irene fiddling with the edges of her uniform, eyes still lowered and her head bowed. Shaking her head at the obvious shyness (how can a sales personnel be shy?), Wendy sighed at what she’s about to say and do.

 

“Miss Bae, I’ve come to discuss your recent sales figures.”

 

Irene’s head whipped up and her eyes widened comically, stammering as she questioned Wendy.

 

“I’m sorry, Miss...?”

 

Realising that Irene probably had no idea who she was, Wendy quickly bowed in return, inwardly cursing at the lack of an introduction.

 

“Ah! I’m sorry, this must be sudden but I’m Miss Son. Wendy Son.”

 

Irene clearly recognised the name because her nervousness increased tenfold, her elbow jamming into the corner of the counter. Wendy winced at the sound and wondered briefly if the brunette was all right but it seemed that the pain didn’t register with Irene, the older woman lowering her head once again. Her words were quiet and her fingers were shaking badly, Wendy feeling her heart sink even further at the sight.

 

“I’m so sorry, Miss Son. I didn’t-”

 

Irene trailed off, her body locking tight, the shivers bleeding away into tension.

 

Wendy bit her lower lip and shook her head, pushing herself to go through with this even though she felt like molten lead was at the pit of her stomach.

 

“It’s fine, Miss Bae. Please come with me, we need to discuss your recent sales figures.”

 

The shivers were back, though minute, but Irene no longer looked as scared as she was before. Instead, there was a quiet resignation, backed with a fire that Wendy could not read and the woman nodded, coming from behind the counter gracefully, head lowered yet again as she addressed Wendy.

 

“Of course, Miss Son.”

 

*

 

“Told you! I told you you’d get it!”

 

Nana smacked her in the back roughly, painless but jarring at the same time and Irene shot her friend a glare, cradling her drink carefully lest it spilled on her carpet. But she couldn’t help the grin that was threatening to take over her face, her eyes screwing into adorable curves as she nodded to Nana’s words, the blonde looking extremely proud of her.

 

“Yeah. Yeah, you did.”

 

Nana laughed again, the cold beauty sipping at the martini that Irene had made for the both of them, humming appreciatively at the taste.

 

“So when do you start?”

 

Irene placed the cup on her knee and pondered for a moment, trying to recall the details of her employment.

 

“Miss Park said at the start of the new month but that’s actually just training and getting to know the lay of the land and all that. I think I start officially second week next month?”

 

Nana nodded and took another sip, her eyebrow raising to her hairline.

 

“Which department?”

 

Irene snorted and leant into her sofa, the cold leather greeting her pleasantly.

 

“The children’s department.”

 

Nana chuckled.

 

“Well, at least you’d get a discount when you buy stuff for Yerim.”

 

Irene shook her head at the blonde, raising a brow as she placed her drink down on the coffee table.

 

“Yes. Because that’s what I want the job for. Discount for toys and clothes.”

 

Nana shrugged.

 

“One of the perks I guess. I mean, children things are expensive and Yerim is still growing.”

 

Irene thought back to her sudden increase in expenses and the fact that Yerim seemed to grow an inch as each week progressed and nodded in agreement to Nana’s words. Her eyes travelled over to only bedroom in the apartment, Irene willingly giving it up so that the child would have a proper space to rest. While Yerim still wanted her to sleep with the young child till the morning on nights when the nightmares were particularly bad, Irene felt bad making the girl take the sofa bed.

 

(She only ever wanted the girl to be happy.

 

Yerim deserved that much.)

 

She sighed, her fingers picking at the fraying skin at the tip of her thumb, wondering if it would be okay at her new job and if she would be able to give Yerim the happiness her parents seemed to have trusted her with.

 

“You’re going to rock at the job, you know that right?”

 

Nana’s fingers trailed at the back of her neck and massaged lightly, her longtime friend smiling softly at her, a twinkle in her eyes that Irene had come to depend on ever since she had bumped into the stoic blonde at the bar. Irene smiled back, grateful for the silent support and leant into the touch, cuddling into Nana’s side petulantly.

 

“I know. If I don’t, I can always blame you.”

 

Nana laughed softly, polishing off her drink in one sip and shook the glass in front of her.

 

“Of course. Now fill her up. We are still celebrating.”

 

*

 

Wendy could feel the guilt doubling inside of her when Irene gave her a stricken look, the woman paling considerably when Wendy spoke of her intentions with this meeting.

 

But there was no other way.

 

Irene was not suitable for the position.

 

Wendy cleared and laced her fingers on top of the table, the stark white of the employee’s resting area matching the pallor of Irene’s lips.

 

“I’m sorry, Miss Bae-”

 

“I can do better! I promise!”

 

Wendy bit the inside of her cheek.

 

“Miss Bae, the month’s figures show that you are not suitable-”

 

“Please!”

 

Maybe it was the way the employee’s eyes held such desperation or the way Irene had pulled down into an expression that tugged at her heartstrings.

 

(It definitely wasn’t the way Irene looked at her.

 

Slightly bright, desperate and filled with glimmering beads of sand on white washed beaches.)

 

Whatever it was, it had Wendy nodding once, her lower lip into as she responded hesitantly.

 

“Well... I guess I could give you another chance?”

 

The word chance had Irene perking up, her eyes brightening just so and colour flooded her cheeks, the woman nodding eagerly.

 

“Yes, please! Anything.”

 

Wendy sniffed gingerly and spoke plainly.

 

“Try and sell me something.”

 

*

 

She was terrible at this.

 

This much Irene had figured out the third day into the job.

 

Though she remembered the products to a tee and she figured out the flow of the department in just a day due to the manual her manager gave her, there was only so much book smarts could do to help Irene in this matter. The rulebook could only tell her what to do when the store was lacking in items to sell or when there was a wrong transaction and where to run if there’s a fire.

 

It did not help her with the frantic mothers coming in to buy a toy to soothe their wailing children or how to handle a screaming toddler when her mother was clearly distracted by something else. It was certainly of no help to her when young mothers eyed her like she was the devil, come up to Earth to seduce their husbands, whose eyes lingered on her way too long to be comfortable.

 

But she persevered through it all, putting on a smile like Nana had taught her just before she started, eyes trained on the customer’s face as she bowed, greeted and spoke softly.

 

(“You do bartending! I’m sure there’s some social skills somewhere.”

 

“You forget that most people are drunk by the time they get talking.”

 

“...That’s true.”)

 

Somehow, it didn’t work out as well as Nana had said.

 

For some reason, the customers seem more comfortable with another salesperson or bringing their chosen items to another employee, even though Irene had helped them in the beginning. She didn’t know if it had to do with her face or the way she talked to them or even the way she smiled, but whatever it was, it was debilitating and worse of all, pulling her sales figures down.

 

So when her manager, Seulgi, gave her the side eye at the end of the month, Irene knew.

 

She was terrible at this.

 

And she was going to get fired.

 

*

 

She told Nana as much when the blonde came over for their nightly girl talk.

 

“I’m going to get fired.”

 

Irene spoke into the material of her sofa despondently, Nana cooing pityingly and rubbing the base of her back lightly. The blonde pressed into the notches of the brunette’s back and spoke comfortingly, the other woman soft with Irene despite her stoic nature.

 

“I am sure it’s not that bad.”

 

“It’s been a month and Miss Kang has been side eyeing me.”

 

“Seulgi? Don’t worry about her. She’s just very particular because we’ve maintained an unblemished image for so long.”

 

Irene groaned.

 

“And they are going to fire me because I’m the blemish.”

 

Nana chuckled, the sound not at all comforting to Irene who was not so silently distressed on the sofa. The blonde shifted slightly and pressed her lips to Irene’s hair, the slightly older woman leaning into the touch and speaking despondently.

 

“I am blaming you. I told you I’m not cut out for this.”

 

Nana giggled into her hair and pulled away, the blonde’s fingers still pressing into the knot formed between Irene’s spinal spaces.

 

“You did. But I also told you that you need to change now. It’s not just you anymore.”

 

Irene turned her head away from the cushions and glared at the blonde, Nana considerably unaffected. Pouting, Irene curled on her side and clung onto Nana’s free hand, the other woman’s fingers curling around hers comfortingly.

 

“I know. But I’m still not doing well and it’s-”

 

“Then try harder. Try harder and be better. You have another person depending on you now and I know you don’t want to let Yerim down.”

 

Squinting up at Nana, Irene’s pout deepened and she murmured petulantly, using Nana’s hand to cover her face.

 

“I hate it when you go all smart on me.”

 

Nana flipped her hair back, raising an eyebrow arrogantly.

 

“I’m always smart. What nonsense are you blabbering about now?”

 

Irene opened to retort when her room door opened slowly, both her and Nana’s attentions snapping straight to the little girl shuffling her way out of the bedroom. Irene pushed up onto one elbow and called out to Yerim softly, knowing from experience that any loud noises will startle the young child.

 

“Yerim? What’s wrong?”

 

Like normal, Yerim did not reply. Instead the girl ambled over to Irene and Nana quietly and clambered onto the sofa, snuggling into Irene’s embrace slowly before dropping back to sleep, the girl’s head tucked into the crook of Irene’s neck. Sighing softly, Irene wrapped her arms around the child gently and cradled her, Yerim laying on her chest and sleeping soundly. Nana chuckled and poked Irene’s forehead, Irene looking up and scowling at her.

 

“See. So try harder.”

 

Inhaling deeply, Irene nodded to her friend’s words and patted Yerim’s back rhythmically.

 

(But really, how to avoid getting fired though...)

 

*

 

Irene was still wandering about the store, trying to find something that Wendy would actually buy from her, the brunette looking extremely distressed as she ran her fingers by some items. She picked up a couple toy sets before dismissing them completely, opting to walk past a shelf filled with toy guns and towards the stuffed toy section. Wendy watched on interestedly, wondering how it was Irene managed to understand that Wendy wouldn’t be interested in the newer toys, as the sale personnel eyed the shelf filled with make belief kitchen appliances.

 

She raised her eyebrows when Irene walked past those too, her fingers reaching out for a stuffed bunny with overly long ears and a brightly coloured body.

 

The brunette seemed to have decided on that, brown eyes flashing with determination as she stalked back towards Wendy, the CEO crossing her arms and waiting for the other woman to impress her.

 

“I think this would fit with Miss Son well.”

 

Blinking at the straightforward way Irene had introduced the toy to her, Wendy started playing devil’s advocate, allowing a small smirk to form on her lips as she stared the woman down.

 

(To Irene’s credit, there was no return of the nervous employee from earlier.

 

Though Wendy longed to figure out the reason behind the determination that was so desperate.)

 

“Oh? Why would you think that?”

 

There was a sudden weight behind Irene’s eyes, something swirling behind the abyss that spoke so much yet revealed so little and Wendy was hooked, drinking Irene’s gaze in greedily as she waited for an answer. Irene took a deep breath and the depth of the ocean receded, determination giving way to a softness that Wendy can’t decipher. It troubled her because Wendy had always prided herself on her ability to read people and somehow, this nervous wreck of an employee became a mysterious puzzle.

 

A small smile played on Irene’s lips, not quite forming as she spoke, the brunette’s fingers running along the ears lightly.

 

“Because it seems like you could use a companion that wouldn’t judge you at night when your walls are stripped down.”

 

As taken aback as Wendy was by the observation, it wasn’t what had her reeling back.

 

It was the smile that bloomed on Irene’s face.

 

It was small but bright, shining with the strength of fluttering stardust, her eyes gleaming with the glow of heated sand turning into glass.

 

Wendy reached out for the toy, her fingers brushing just so against Irene’s hand, her agreement coming out as quickly as the time it took for her to fall for that smile.

 

“I’ll take it.”

 

(She realised, just a little too late, that this was probably how her HR representative was cajoled into hiring Irene.

 

With a smile like that, it was inconceivable as to why the world hasn’t gotten to its knees for Bae Irene.)

 

*

 

“You want to transfer her over to the men’s department.”

 

Seulgi looked at her blankly, her arms crossed tightly and her eyebrow raised. Wendy nodded once and proceeded to flip to the next page of the file in front of her, expertly scanning the document before initialling at the bottom. She placed it on the out tray on her table and capped her pen carefully, aware that Seulgi was confused and not at all amused with Wendy’s decision.

 

“Wendy, she’s not cut out for the job. She-”

 

“I went and talked to her. I think she’d do a lot better if she’s in the men’s department.”

 

Seulgi’s mouth twitched slightly.

 

“Just because she’s pretty-”

 

“It’s not that.”

 

Wendy leant back into her chair and sighed softly, her fingers massaging her temple.

 

“I just feel like she’d show more progress in the men’s department.”

 

There was a pause before Seulgi spoke up again, a slight disbelief in her tone but it was a hesitant agreement, the general manager relenting to the CEO’s wishes.

 

“Alright. But if she doesn’t show any progress-”

 

Closing her eyes, with the image of breaking waves on sand haunting her, Wendy nodded tiredly.

 

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