I’ve been told by the doctor not to exhaust my feet for the week. I doubt it’ll last that long. Tomorrow, my foot will be fine. At least that’s what I hope. Mr. Kai is now seated in the driver’s seat and it’s my second time being in his car. I told him I can manage going home but he insisted on driving me back to my house. I briefly look at him while his eyes are on the road. Mr. Kai is honestly such an angel. I smile at the thought.

“Take a photo, it’ll last longer,” He says and I flush as I look away from him. I hear him chuckle, “Just kidding. You can look at me all you want,” He tells me and I laugh at him. Mr. Kai looks at me with a pout and then eyes back on the road again.

Being with Mr. Kai, I’m not afraid to just burst into laughter or hold back. Although there is that same respect I have for him that I have for pretty much everyone in the office. But I must say, of all the bosses, he’s the warmest I’ve ever been with. Mr. Byun and Mr. Park are usually very sarcastic and they tend to tease me a whole lot. Mr. Dyo has never had any other interactions with me other than business. He lent me a bread one time, but he doesn’t smile that much. Mr. Joonmyeon is alright. He’s intimidating because he moves around the office like he all he means is business and nothing more than that, but he smiles a lot and kindly orders people around. Mr. Oh…that god-like boss of mine. Well, he’s usually strict, straightforward, scary, perfect, and regal and I feel like I’m holding myself back a little when I’m around him. I only answer him back when I think he’s being an or when he treats me like a dog with his one-word, two-word commands. Mr. Kai is friendly. I haven’t even started working here and he already made me feel like I have some sort of guardian angel in the office. He helps me a lot. He makes the office a whole lot better and around him, it’s like nothing could go wrong. But of course, like any other boss, he has tendencies to lose it, too. I hear him reprimand his team and yell at them, but all for work. Personally, I think Mr. Kai is a good guy.

“Penny for your thoughts?” I hear him say.

I smile at him, “Sorry, sir.”

“Jongin.” He says and I blink at him, confused. Mr. Kai briefly takes a look at me and then eyes back at the road with that warm smile of his, “Call me Jongin,”

“But sir—”

“We’re not in the office. I’d like it if we’re comfortable with each other. Being called ‘sir’ reminds me of work and I don’t want that right now,” He chuckles and I nod, “So please call me Jongin from now on. At least whenever we’re not inside that building,”

I chuckle lightly at him, “If this is you making up for that interview I had weeks ago, it’s alright now, sir,”

“I stopped making up for that long ago.”

“So…you’re just being kind because?”

“Because I can? I should? I want to?” I hear him laugh and I flush at his statement. In all seriousness though, I thought he was being friendly because he saw me cry after that interview I’ve had with them. I didn’t question his kindness because I kept thinking it was for seeing me in tears. He nudges me but his eyes are on the road, “I can be nice to you, can I?”

“That’s a silly question,” I tell him, chuckling.

“Yours were, too.” He interjects and I bite my lower lip, “There’s no reason needed to be nice,” He smiles at me and I smile back.

When we stop across my house, I see my brother’s car. He’s home early. Mr. Kai switches off the car engine and quickly runs to my side to assist me getting out of the car. I still walk stiffly because of the new dress. I limp towards the house with Mr. Kai’s hand on the small of my back and one holding my hand.

“Mr. Kai, would you like something to eat before you go?” I ask him politely with a smile. He opens his mouth to answer me but the door swung open and it revealed my surprised brother, “O-oppa,” I stutter. He looks at me and shifts his gaze towards Mr. Kai.

“And you are?” My brother asks in that protective brotherly tone.

“I’m—”

“Oppa, he’s my boss,” I sheepishly tell him to save Mr. Kai from his interrogations. My brother tends to be protective of me.

My brother changes his face expression and smiles at Mr. Kai, “Oh. You must be the one I spoke with on the phone? Thank you for letting my sister sleepover and looking after her. I’m very grateful. You aren’t such a regal after all,”

“Oppa!” I scold him and Mr. Kai laughs lightly.

“You must have mistaken me for her real boss, sir.” Mr. Kai says politely. I glare at Kim Jaejoong and he looks at me apologetically. He then eyes at my foot and finally notices that there’s something wrong with it.

“What happened to you?” He asks and then looks up from my toes to my dress, “And what are you wearing?”

“Umm—”

“There was a scheduled board meeting today and she needed to get dressed up for it, sir. About her foot, it was our fault. We’re really sorry. There was a bit of a fiasco in the office pantry and she was caught in the middle. But I promise you, it won’t happen again,” Mr. Kai explains and my brother gives him a meaningful look. I clear my throat to change the atmosphere.

“Oppa…” I mutter and tug the hem of his shirt to stop him from giving Mr. Kai that look.

He steps aside and clears his throat, “Very well then. You should eat dinner with us—as my thanks for bringing my sister home early from work. It’s been a while since she was home this early,”

Mr. Kai helps me up to my room while my brother is cooking dinner. I’m very embarrassed to show my room. It isn’t that messy, but I don’t remember it being that clean either.

“Careful,” Mr. Kai tells me as we walk up the stairs. I feel his assisting hand on my back while he clasps mine with the other. Would it be bad to admit that I feel safe? I smile at him and finally arrive at the second floor. We walk further until we reach my door. I take a deep breath and he chuckles at me, “Don’t worry, no matter how pink your room is or how many stuffed animals you have, I won’t judge you. I have two sisters. Trust me, I know what a girl’s room looks like,”

“That’s what I’m worried about—I’m not sure if it actually looks like a girl’s room,” I sheepishly tell him. With so much hesitation, I finally open the door and nonplussed to see that my room is clean. My brother must have cleaned it. We walk in and I see Mr. Kai turning his head, probably in all direction possible, examining my room. I sit on the small couch at the end of my bed and Mr. Kai is standing right across my bookshelf while he’s staring at the canvas sitting on the easel. I flush upon realizing that I was painting a male body yesterday because there was nothing to do at home. It wasn’t that exposed though, because I painted an aurora inside it.

“School project?” He asks, pointing at the painting. He notices more of the canvas sitting below my bookshelf. My heart thumps of nervousness and I feel my face heat up. Mr. Kai picks them up one by one and scans them, “Wow. You painted these?” He asks, turning to me and then shifts his attention to the painting again.