Damn! He has to finish the reports tonight.

Changwook took a deep breath.

He is left with no choice.

“Fine. “ said Changwook.

The woman bit her lip as she looked at him with anticipation.

“Just make sure you don’t make too much noise. I have reports to finish tonight.” Said ChangWook.

Chapter 2

First Drunken Night with Boss

It was impossible. The moment ChangWook reached his house, the woman threw up on the floor making everything smell foul.

“Ooops… hehe… I couldn’t hold it in.” The woman laughed while vomit juices trailed down her chin.

“Disgusting woman.” Said ChangWook.

ChangWook pulled the woman to the bathroom.

The woman stood there as if not knowing what to do.

“You are hopeless.” Changwook sighed.

He helped her clean .

“Gargle it properly.” Ordered ChangWook.

And then the woman saw her image from the mirror and spit out the water she gargled on the mirror.

“Yuck! What are you doing?!” ChangWook wanted to go back in time. If only he listened to Kwangsoo back there.

“My face! I look like Joker!” said the woman. “You know… in Batman… ”

“I know, the character Joker. Yes, you look like him.” agreed ChangWook. “You have to clean my mirror.”

The woman tried to clean the mirror with water and soap, she did it clumsily and took several minutes to finish.

“Can I… wash my face please?” asked the woman.

ChangWook sighed.

“Fine.”

ChangWook took a small towel and handed it to the woman. The woman used the facial wash she saw by the sink and washed her face. ChangWook just stood there waiting. After a minute or so, the woman dried her face with a towel.

The woman faced the mirror.

“There. Hmm… why can’t I be a bit prettier?  If I can be a bit prettier…maybe I can be a bit more confident… But this is better than Joker. I look like… myself now.” said the woman.

The woman faced ChangWook smiling.

“Thank you!”

ChangWook stared at the woman.

Wow… She looked entirely different now that the smudged makeup was gone.

She’s actually… pretty. Not in a super model kind of way but… her face has that innocence and simplicity especially when she smiles.

“Wow your place is so neat Mr. Ji… So clean… It feels so… You.” said the woman.

Tsk. She’s still drunk.

ChangWook went out of the bathroom.

That woman… there is something in her that looks familiar. He has definitely seen her before. He should have seen her before because she works for him. But really… this time, he’s sure he had talked to her before.

ChangWook proceeded to clean the floor. The woman tried to help.

“Just stay back. You are clumsy. You may only make the mess worse.” Said ChangWook.

The woman pouted and moved to the wall. She stood there facing ChangWook, her back against the wall, and watched him.

“You are rich… why do you know how to clean like this?” asked the woman.

“Is it odd?” asked ChangWook.

The woman shook her head.

“No… It’s unusual… but in a good way. Rich men who knows things like cleaning the house, fixing a broken faucet… is admirable.” Said the woman.

ChangWook looked at the woman. She has that pensive look on her eye while a faint smile was on her lips. She looked like she was daydreaming.

ChangWook sighed.

“You should not admire men easily just because they can do this and that.” Said ChangWook. “Men… are often not as they seem.”

“What do you mean?” asked the woman.

Why is he even making a conversation with a drunk woman?

“Men… seems to be good in the outside. But they may have ulterior motives.” Said ChangWook.

“Huh? There are genuinely nice men who are not like that.” Said the woman.

“Like who?” asked ChangWook.

“Hmm…well there are men like You.”

ChangWook stopped mopping the floor. He turned to the woman and stared at her for what seemed like an entire minute.

“I…” The woman gulped. “I only said what I think. I… I think you are a good man.”

“I am not.” Said ChangWook.

ChangWook turned his attention back to mopping the floor. There was a long moment of silence.

“Each day is an opportunity to learn and be better…”

ChangWook’s eyes widened.

“What did you say?” he asked.

The woman sighed.

“Each day is an opportunity to learn and be better.” repeated the woman.

Those were the words of ChangWook’s highschool bestfriend, TaeJoon.

TaeJoon…

“You once said those words to me.” Said the woman. “I was really hopeless then. It was my first day at work. You saw me and helped to get to the new hire orientation. I might’ve looked distraught back then… that’s why you tried to encourage me.”

ChangWook can see it now. That’s why the woman looked familiar. He has indeed talked to her before.

“Just because I said those things doesn’t mean I’m a good man.” said ChangWook. “Don’t get carried away.”

“For you it might’ve just been something you said in random. Maybe you have said that several times to many people you have been encouraging as a manager. But for me it was something important… for me…” The woman stopped talking as her voice started trembling. “It helped me whenever I feel down or weak or when I felt like a mess… You words comforted me and helped me to stay in the company for three years now.”

ChangWook put the mop on the side.

“That’s unbelievable. Those simple words… made you stay in the company for 3 years.” Said ChangWook.

“I… have never been as successful as you. In my entire 3 years in the company, I was struggling. Everyday… I was struggling to survive. Because I need a job. I need to keep working. And I know with how I am… it was a miracle that I got into the company. I am pretty sure I would find it hard to look for another job that’s why… no matter how weak I am… I just cling to your words like that every single day… and it made me survive for three years.”

ChangWook sighed. And then he looked at the woman from head to foot. Her hair is tied up earlier but ChangWook is pretty sure now where he saw this girl.

“Yoona.” Said ChangWook. “Your name is Im Yoona.”

The woman’s eyes widened.

“You were the agent this morning weren’t you?” asked ChangWook.

Yoona took a moment to answer.

“You…remember?” asked Yoona.

“When you washed your face, I knew you looked familiar. I’m sure I’ve seen you before but it took me a while to realize where and when.” Said ChangWook.

Yoona closed her hands together.

Mr. Ji… learned who she is…

This beautiful dream… is about to end.

“The Im Yoona from this morning and the Drunk Im Yoona… are entirely different.” Said ChangWook. “You were… a very timid girl with no confidence at all this morning. And then the drunk you… is more than just  bold and forward… you are aggressive. You even had the guts to stick to me like a lynch.”

Yoona laughed nervously.

“But you see… when I’m drunk… that’s the only time I get to have confidence.” Said Yoona. “When I’m sober… “

Yoona looked at the floor and couldn’t continue.

“When you look like that, it makes you look like you lost.” Said ChangWook.

Yoona suddenly felt warm fingers lifting her chin up. And when she was facing up, ChangWook’s face is less than a foot away. It made Yoona’s eyes grow wide and her heart beat faster than it already did.

“Chin up.” Said ChangWook. “Don’t so quickly accept defeat. Don’t so quickly show failure. Chin up as if the fight is not yet over…. As if tomorrow is another chance to make thin