Sehun never left my unit during the first day of my one-week break. He 100% made sure I didn’t go near my laptop and my phone to check my emails or texting my colleagues about what I missed at work. If I wanted to watch movies or scroll my SNS, I will be under his hawk-eye watch because he didn’t want me to sneakily open my email. At times, I really wanted to kick the younger out of my apartment so I can rest peacefully. Even if he’s not there, I won’t open my emails because I was too tired to do so.

On the second day, Sehun reluctantly walked out of my home to go to his shooting. Kibum didn’t want to make me stay alone at home but he had no other choices. The magazine Sehun supposed to model for wanted Sehun and Sehun only as their model, saying Sehun’s the only one who can fit their concept. I managed to convince him though that I can take care of myself since I did feel a lot better than the previous day. I spent the whole day eating and doing a movie marathon. By 10 pm, I felt tired and went straight to bed after taking my medicine.

Chanyeol, however, still remained MIA and Sehun almost lost his temper when Chanyeol didn’t pick up his phone.

By the third day of my one-week break, I was dying of boredom.

I was so used to wake up early every day that even if I’m on my break, I still wake up at 7 am. When I opened my email, another annoying habit of mine (according to both Chanyeol and Sehun), nobody sent me anything. Ailee must have been telling them not to disturb me for a week. I pouted, trying to find anything else to entertain me.

After shower, I decided to do some cleaning around my apartment. I did the vacuuming, mopping, cleaned the windows and made myself a breakfast meal (sausages, cheese omelette, and a cup of tea). By the time everything is done, it’s only 9.30am.

I wanted to read books but I’m not in the mood to do so. I’m not up to find something in Netflix or Kissasian either. Nothing good is on TV too other than cartoons since it’s only 9.30 am.

This is the downside of being on a break.

When you’re too used to work all day, being on rest could felt like your world is slowing down.

After staring at the empty TV screen for almost 15 minutes, I felt like my brain cells began to rot.

“That’s it.” I talked to irresponsive television.

I walked back to my room and pulled out a hoodie and a pair of washed out jeans. My bag hasn’t been touch since the day I fainted so I don’t need to arrange it. After I wore my socks, my hands reached for my keys and I walked out of my apartment.

After parking my car at the staff parking area, I walked towards the entrance with slow yet bouncy steps. But the happiness cut off when my staff access card was denied. Although I have a hunch on what could cause my card to be denied, I still walked towards the security to ask him about the problem.

“Good morning, Mr Shim.”

“Oh, hello, Sky,” Mr Shim replied cheerfully.

“My access card won’t work,” I said with a sad tone.

“I think both of us know the reason, Sky.”

“Please~” I tried to plead. “I’ll buy a lot of jajangmyeon. You love the one from the ahjumma at the cart two blocks from here right?”

“No, Sky. Miss Lee had warned me not to let you enter.”

I pouted. Ailee could be super dramatic sometimes. This had happened before, seven years ago. It was after the longest period I was unconscious after fainting at the end of a very tiring photo shoot. It was an exhaustive month for me (it was the magazine’s 20th-anniversary issue and every shoot was conducted by me) and I didn’t get any rest for the whole month. After passing out for approximately 72 hours and a lengthy lecture from Dr Min, I was banned from entering the office for two weeks. I tried to enter after two days of resting but the securities (Mr Shim was there too) tried to hold the barricade so hard that I gave up after staying in front of the entrance for three hours.

Not giving up, I tried to ask him again.

“Please, Mr Shim. It won’t be that long. I just want to visit them. Please just let me enter.”

“No, Sky. They will fire me if I let you in.” Mr Shim said sadly.

“Don’t worry, Mr Shim. I’ll back you up if they want to fire you.”

He looked at me with guilty eyes. After thinking about it for a few minutes, he used his own staff card and let me in.

“You didn’t enter through me.”

“Got it, Mr Shim!” I said loudly as I walked to the elevator. “I owe you one, ahjussi!”

“This brat.” Mr Shim said amusingly. “Don’t forget my one-month jajangmyeon supply, kid!”

“I won’t!” I replied from the elevator. “Have a good day, Mr Shim!”

When the elevator stopped at my office’s floor, I went out while praying to the Lord above that the receptionist, Yerim, will let me enter. As I approached the front door, I saw Yerim standing up from her seat behind the counter and stood in guard in front of the glass door.

“Step aside, Yerim.”

“Eunnie, Miss Lee will kill me if I let you enter.”

“Yerim...”

“Eunnie~” Yerim whined.

After an exhaustive deal-making (I allowed Yerim to model for the couple photo shoot for the next issue – she really wants to model beside another model from Star Museum Agency, Jung Yoonoh, who already confirmed to take part in the shoot), she let me entered the office. As soon as I entered, I walked straight to the studio, where one of the shoots I was supposed to handle today was held.

***

“, doc said you have medical leave for a week. What the are you doing here?”

That’s how Baekhyun greeted me as soon as I stepped into the studio. The place was almost upside down with the staffs fast-walked around; making sure everything was ready for the shooting. The photographer responsible for today, Mingyu, looked nervous as he is always the one assisting me during shooting; not the one doing the shooting. When he saw me, he breathed out everything he probably inhaled since this morning. Baekhyun, on the other hand, didn’t look very happy with it even though I knew he really missed me.

“I’m bored.” I ignored Baekhyun’s eye-rolling before asking, “What are you doing here though? Missed me that much?”

Baekhyun scoffed before saying Ailee needed extra help for makeup today and asked for their help. Both of us began to playfully bicker with each other. Although Baekhyun looked like he wanted to grab my arms and drag me home himself, I can see he looked delighted to see me. A few minutes of bickering later, Baekhyun’s beloved camel boy came to the shooting area from the make-up room.

“The are you doing here?” Jongdae said in his high-pitched voice.

“Oh, God. Do you really despise of my presence here like your boyfriend does, Kim Jongdae?”

“Hey, I don’t despise!” Baekhyun protected himself. “I’m just being a concerned best friend!”

Jongdae rolled his eyes before asking about the reason for me being here. I didn’t explain too much. I just said I was bored at home and decided to visit the office. Looking at how Mingyu looked like he wanted to cry, I promised to both of them (Mr Kim and the future Mr Kim) I will only guide my rookie photographer and not 100% being behind the camera. My two best friends looked hesitant at first but then, they decided to just let me do what I want but they wanted to stay near to me so that they can lend a hand if needed.

Holding to my promise, I only sat down in front of the monitor to observe Mingyu’s work together with Minghao, who acted as the director for the shoot. As I’m far more experienced than him in this industry, Minghao frequently asked for my opinions and I’m more than happy to help the junior creative director. At some points, Mingyu didn’t get it right; therefore, I went to the photographer and helped him to get the right angle by adjusting the angle of the camera before proceeding to guide the models. When I went back to my seat, my hands and knees were trembling a little. I tried to act normal but Baekhyun’s sharp eyes noticed it. He held me on the shoulders asking if I’m feeling okay. I just nodded, saying I just felt slightly tired.

“Noona, what do you think?”

I heard Mingyu asked me. I focused my eyes on the monitor in front of me. Looking at the photos taken by my junior, I felt proud looking at Mingyu’s improved photography skill. I gave him a thumb up, which was replied with his beaming smile. I, then, let Minghao took over and I leaned on the table with my arms to take a rest. I heard Baekhyun told me to rest in the make-up room but I shook my head. With that, he left me alone.

After I heard Minghao saying it’s a wrap for the shooting, claps and ‘you’ve worked hard’ were buzzing throughout the studio. I felt warm hands on me, shaking my shoulder for me to wake up.

“Hey.” I heard Jongdae’s voice. “Let’s go have some coffee.”

I straightened myself, feeling a little woozy but I didn’t tell Jongdae. I didn’t mention to him about my rising temperature as well. My thick sweatshirt may cause him not to realize I am burning up when he shook my shoulder just now.

I forced myself to stand up, but I barely stood when my knees lost the balance.

I heard screaming before I felt myself fell into someone’s arms. I recognized the scent of the person’s holding me right now.

“Chanyeol?”

I managed to say it out loud before passing out.