Again?

I pull off the notes taped on the desk and frown in dismay as I read through the nasty words written on it. This is the fourth time I have caught these here and the fourth time I’m pulling them off. Who keeps on doing this immature act? I look around and no one is in sight, not one employee. Someone must have left these last night then, considering that it’s only 7 in the morning and no one gets here until 8. If I find out whoever keeps on doing this, someone’s definitely getting fired. I crumple the notes and throw them inside the trash bin, a bit relieved that Haerin won’t ever get to read them. I wonder if she has ever seen any of it. I hope not.

Office rumors can get pretty nasty. In fact, it gets very nasty. I’ve been accused of sleeping with Aubrey—my own secretary, for goodness sake—and though I don’t receive petty notes about it on my desk or hear people actually talk about it when I’m around, I know what they think and how they talk about me. It’s a good thing they’re being careful though because I will fire every person who keeps on ruining the office with their immaturity. Immature people are incompetent beings and I don’t and will never need them here.

I try not to ruin my mood by thinking of good thoughts such as the fact that the board finally approved the photoshoot in New Zealand. All it took was some explaining of why it needed to be there and the storyboard explanation also did the trick. Speaking of storyboard explanation, I still haven’t congratulated Haerin for doing great on the presentation yesterday afternoon. She’s definitely getting absorbed. This company will be too stupid to ignore such potential. Besides, after she’s done here—though this thought leaves a bitter taste in my mouth—she’s definitely going to receive a good-mouthed evaluation and recommendation letter from me. That girl. She’s going to make it in the industry if she keeps her determination intact.

My phone rings and when I look at the caller I.D, I can’t help but roll my eyes. Catherine. I switch the phone to silent mode and let my phone ring unheard on top of my desk while I set up my laptop. It bothers me that she’s calling again when I’m pretty sure we don’t have any business with each other anymore. I think I made that pretty clear during our last conversation.

I hear a faint knock on my glass door and suddenly Joonmyeon hyung’s head pops in through the small opening, “Why so early, Mr. Oh?” He teases.

“I can ask you the same thing, Mr. Kim,” I say as he welcomes himself into my office. He plops down the couch and grabs a magazine I know he doesn’t read, “Do you already have a copy of the schedule and itinerary for the photoshoot?” I ask him.

“Kyungsoo told me it’ll be ready this afternoon,” He tells me.

“Good, I need it today,”

“You never usually hurry with it, what’s the rush now? Yellowstone asked for it?”

“No. Just making sure Haerin’s brother gets a copy early before we fly to New Zealand,” I say as I reply to an e-mail from a client and open the necessary documents for today. I look at my phone to check for any messages, but the notification just says I got a missed call from Catherine. I sigh and lock my phone.

“Haerin’s brother? You’re making sure that her brother gets a copy?” He asks me again and I give him a look. He’s got that intrigued expression on his face, an arched brow and a ghost of a smile. I know exactly where this question is going because it always goes the same way in situations like this—when I’m linked towards an opposite , “Why?”

“So he can let her go and let him know that this trip is for work. I don’t want to drag my intern along and leave someone here worried of her,” I give him a look and he just stares at me quizzically, “What? I can’t be nice now?”

“I’m not saying you can’t be nice,” He lets out a chuckle and stands up as he makes his way towards my desk. Joonmyeon hyung leans in and I instinctively lean back as he continues to look at me with that stupid grin on his face, “I’m just curious why you’re being nice,” I need a reason to be nice? I roll my eyes at him and he just cracks into a light laugh. Teasing me is Baekhyun and Chanyeol’s job. He’s taking this occupation too? Unbelievable.

“I’ve got work to do,” I tell him monotonously in my attempt to make him go away. My phone starts vibrating on my desk and it’s Catherine yet again. I ignore the call.

“Aren’t you going to answer that? She might have something important to say,” I hear Joonmyeon hyung say but I ignore him as well. It’s stressful enough that I’m actually getting calls from her again. I don’t need any more questions to add to the stress. He picks up my phone and I immediately launch myself off of my seat.

“Hyung!” I exclaim as he backs away from me, holding my phone, “I swear if you answer that damned—”

“Hello?” He asks, pressing the phone on his ear, “Oh, hi Catherine! How are you?” I give him a glare like I’m shooting him bullets through my eyes and I wish I was. He continues his conversation with her and he’s making up excuses for me and why I’m not the one on the phone right now. The call ends and he tosses me back my phone.

“Thanks a lot, hyung,” I tell him sarcastically, “Now my mother’s going to think I’m entertaining her again,” I click my tongue and press two fingers on my right temple. I either need an aspirin or to punch someone in the face to relieve my stress. Just the thought of my mother probably about to pick up her phone wherever in the damned world she is right now infuriates me.

“Hey, she’s your friend, right? It’s only common manners to talk to her,” Friend. I scoff. What friend? I walk back to my chair and focus on work until Joonmyeon leaves my office. My phone blinks and I see a text message. When I open it, it’s from Catherine. I’m not even surprised.

Sorry I called. Joonmyeon oppa told me you were busy with work. I’ll be in Korea just in time for the annual company Gala. Maybe we can meet before that? Miss you. x C

If only you didn’t do what you did to me, maybe I might have missed you.

I drown myself with work and coordinate with the editing team before I leave for another meeting later after lunch. I don’t know how long I’ve been walking back and forth from my office to the editing department to keep checking the rendering and if there are any mistakes. Sometimes, the editing team gets it all wrong. Probably because of the pressure I put on their shoulders. I get carried away most of the time, but only because I want the last output to be perfect. Otherwise clients will run from me.

When I head back to my office, I see Jongin leaning on Haerin’s desk as his back is to me. It’s enough sight for me to puke and know that Haerin’s already here and they might have even arrived together. Friendly Jongin laughs over something and soon followed by Haerin’s laugh. I ignore them and the tight knots inside me as I put my hands inside the pockets on my pants as I make my way back to my office. No, don’t look. Don’t look. I remind myself as I turn to my door and ignore them successfully.

***

Mr. Oh puts a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on his office door and this is the first time I’m seeing that sign hang right there. Since when did he even own one of those? I stand up and peek inside his office; he’s frowning in front of his laptop and at the same time checking documents on his hands. This is definitely not Sehun right now. My heart falters a bit at the sigh of Mr. Oh not being the carefree nor relaxed Sehun that he was yesterday. I wish he could have more days for his own, take a break, have fun and relax. It makes me sad just knowing that he barely has hours to relieve himself from all the stress and work.

I push the questions in the back of my head as to why he’s here early because clearly he’s got lots of work to do, which is probably why he’s here before me. I walk back to my desk and go through his e-mails and check if anything is unread. The most recent ones are already opened, which means Mr. Oh has probably read them all this morning. I still scan through them and look for anything printable. It is protocol to print documents or anything printable coming from clients because Mr. Oh asks for them sometimes just to go through it. So far, there’s none.

I didn’t get to give him a morning call. Disappointment hits me because his voice starts my day. I release a sigh and look through his schedule anyway so I can remind him later when he’s not on his Do Not Disturb mode. When I look through today’s schedule, my eyes widen at the written meetings after lunch. He’s got four client meetings today and it starts right after lunch. I look at the small notes below the scheduled meetings and written there are what Mr. Oh needs for the meeting, certain documents, song materials and printed storyboard frames. I collect them all from respective departments.

The recording department is my last stop. Unfortunately, Mr. Byun and Mr. Park are busy in the booth so there’s only the mean brunette and blondie—I never bothered trying to know their names—to attend to me. It makes me wonder why they’ve stopped the notes though. Maybe it got boring for them and because office rumors say that Hanseul is re-applying. I stop by their desk and bow politely to greet them.

“What do you want?” brunette says, with crossed arms and creased brows.

“I just need Mr. Oh’s copy of these songs recorded last week,” I hand them the piece of paper with the songs written on them. Brunette does the computer work, clicking and making a copy of the following music I need for Mr. Oh. Meanwhile, blondie’s eyes are glaring at me and if looks could kill, it would have been my funeral.

“You had lunch with Mr. Oh yesterday?” Wow. Office rumors. They do spread like wildfire. This shouldn’t surprise me anymore but it sort of still does. There’s been a lot of word going around lately but I try not to get involved in them, although Mr. Byun and Mr. Park bets I already have my fair share of office rumors because I’ve been working with Mr. Oh and friends with Mr. Kai.

“Yes,” I answer truthfully but nonchalantly.

“Why?” I don’t answer brunette’s follow up question because I don’t think it’s their business after all. Besides, I know how these two are around the office. If I tell them anything, they’re going to stretch my story, turn it into