1

“Ugh…”

Joohyun turns her body around when she hears the noisy device blaring near her. She peeks with one eye on the source of her distraction, reaching her hand out to snooze it off gently before she unconsciously grabs and throws it across her window for disturbing her much needed sleep.

She blinks and her eyes are spreading even open the moment it catches a sight of her alarm clock. The glowing red number has her vision and sense rather quickly the more she stares at it. She is sure she isn’t asleep while inspecting the alarm that seems to play some tricks on her. Today is Monday. Surely, being overslept is something she wasn’t looking forward to happening.

“No… freaking way…”

She puts her alarm back to its place and mumbles subtly while hastily pushing herself up off her bed, discarding the blanket carelessly at the thought of the current time. Her alarm works just fine, which only means one thing that she is so going to late. She bolts up right away towards her bathroom as soon as her toes manage to touch the cold surface of her floor.

“I’m doomed!”

The woman barely gets any sleep that day—all courtesy of her stubborn best friend’s insisted night call that lasted more than five-hours since it started. She only gets a chance to finally close her eyes when the clock strikes at four in the morning after she has painstakingly reminded her friend that today is already Monday. Hoping to stop her best friend’s endless rants and catch at least a tiny little bit time to rest her tired body and her twitching red eyes.

However, she regrets all her decisions of wanting to get any rest because by now, she has pretty much overslept herself and has to cut her time short in order to go to the annual meeting her boss always sets in this dreadful Monday morning, faster.

“I’m SO doomed!”

She says it out loudly, uttering her annoyance to herself across the mirror. The fact that she doesn’t have time to shower is successfully making her groan in desperation and tearing her patience even more. She huffs then settles with splashing cold water on her face and quickly brushes her teeth to at least look a bit presentable with the absent of shower.

The latter changes into her work attire, spreading as many perfumes as she can to her entire body—she couldn’t be careless if she has wasted a bottle right away. What matters most now is her presence in the meeting without a smelly body.

While grabbing her purse and a pile of documents on her side table hurriedly, she runs past her dressing table and stops for a bit, checking her appearance one last time, then continues dashing out of her room in a record time. She locks her place and walks out briskly towards the opening lift.

What a great day.

X

After she has barely gotten her car to move faster, out of the lining cars in front of her and not to mention, she has almost ran onto another driver with the speeding car— Thank God Joohyun is still managed to arrive without any scratch craved on her vehicle.

Her phone has been ringing like crazy, and it certainly has not helped her lessen those panic feelings from swallowing her whole sanity. She certainly knows that that meeting is important, but she would appreciate it more if she doesn’t need to bear the constant pressure as the fruit of her miscalculated time management right there.

She doesn’t plan to answer the call immediately though, maybe later when her feet have planted on the floor in the lobby to at least be able telling the truth. She chooses to mute her device in the end when she unmistakably witnesses her friend’s name flashing on its surface.

“Uh is it already started?”

Despite her earlier hesitation, her hand has its own mind and functioned against her will. She finds herself instantly shoving the phone back into her bag and now, paying her full attention on taking a turn—maneuvering to park her car in one go. Wheels screeching as they make a rapid turn, leaving a visible trail of tires on the ground when it has contacted with the asphalt below.

Quickly killing her engine, she holds these important documents in one hand with another one carries her handbag, then using the same used hand to hastily push her door open in one swift movement.

“Bang!”

Joohyun stops her feet from touching the ground as she hears loud sound emerging in this once quiet parking lot and feels the vibration on her grip alongside the noise. She gulps and lunges her head forward to peek outside, hoping it isn’t something her mind has been thinking about. But when she sees the car beside her own starts to riot with its alarm blinking thus she realizes that her thought has been right all along.

Her face turns paler than before as she’s finally able to digest everything, or more, the current situation she is in.

Never knew that her strength could do so much, as in denting something, Joohyun thoroughly sinks the fact inside her brain.

She only wants to go to her workplace in peace.

And in doing so, denting someone’s car is something she doesn’t expect at all. 

She isn’t the best driver in the world, Joohyun admits, but she still knows for sure how to park her own car safely. It’s just when you are in a panic state everything unexpected can happen. Not only to her but everyone, sadly to say, she happens to encounter one this time around.

She has carelessly parked her car at the thought of being late, and for sure, she definitely does not realize the position of her own car, which is quite intriguing, to say the least. Joohyun sighs inwardly, the way she parked her car is something she regrets doing so for almost having nonexistence distance at all—causing her door to bump against a very glamour pitch-black sports car the moment she wanted to step out. She finds herself swallowing hard after being the first-hand to witness the result of her awful skill in parking a car, making it have such a clear dent on its right side.

Joohyun unconsciously bites her lower lip in panic. That car without a doubt looks so classy and excessively expensive than what she owned, even if she has three or more of her current used car. She doesn’t need to know several brands to figure out how damned she is right now. However, she happens to know Porsche and that brand itself surely screams money all over the place. There is still no way for her compact car to stand any chance with it in the same level. The gap is so incredibly long and she seriously feels terrified at the thought of remunerating that owner’s loss.

She tardily closes her door and locks it again, just in case the owner of that fancy car or anyone who happens to see the commotion she successfully made comes barging in.

“What have I ever done in my past life to receive these series of unstoppable tortures?”

Joohyun lays her head on the steering wheel, too drained to keep it up. She starts bumping her forehead against it harder and stops doing so when the corner of her eye catches a sight of those laying documents on her passenger seat. She sighs, knowing fully that she can’t lock herself in this place even if she badly wants to, for another century maybe. But sadly speaking, she cannot.

There’s an obligation she needs to take and meeting she needs to attend. Joohyun has to do it no matter what happens, although it will cost her life, her life insurance, or her whole life savings.

X

She rapidly makes her way inside the huge contagious building after leaving a small note being slipped in between that sophisticated car’s windshield wipers. She too has parked her own car in a righteous method this time. While glancing back, she prays inside her heart that the owner will read her note and has some pity left towards her when they meet later to negotiate their matter.

She walks in a fast pace to get herself ready in less than two minutes after she slides her ID card in a record time, this explains why she has used her strength to catch up with the nearest opened lift. She is able to squeeze herself inside the dangerously closing lift with ease when she thinks that she doesn’t have more time left in waiting for it again.

She almost lost her balance for knocking against whoever is that inside the lift, all gratitude to the rushing she does, but the firm hold on her side has managed to steady her before falling freely.

“Aish…”

Joohyun immediately takes several steps back while regaining her composure and noticing the widened eyes of this taller person. “I’m sorry! Did I knock you that hard???”

A suppressed groan escapes before a mumbled chuckle overcomes it much later, thus Joohyun raises her brow in wonder. “A-are you okay?”

“Not really,” the voice comes out hoarsely. “-but you sure step on my foot that hard.”

She watches as the figure revealing her mask, thus Joohyun realizes that it is a she. She’s sure; sarcasm tucks in the emphasized word as well. Fully getting the hint, she immediately bows her head in embarrassment and utters another trail of apologies.

“I’m really really sorry.”

There is no one inside the lift aside of them so Joohyun lets out a small sigh of relief at the thought of anyone watching her earlier accident. This one person is enough.

The other person then glues herself onto another wall after shrugging her apology off with a wave of the hand. Joohyun unconsciously observes the quiet person, her eyes trail down and see her using sneakers, upon seeing it, deep down she can feel the agony that girl certainly suffers on because Joohyun is so happened to wear her 5-inch heels at that time. She feels guilty for it almost in a second.

“I’m so sorry and thank you,”

She meekly says, hiding her face purely out of embarrassment. “For that wrong stepping I did and helping me, in case you ask.” She peeks and when she sees no reaction, her eyes immediately drop down to her task again. “I’m terribly sorry again.”

Joohyun hears her exhale and looks up to see her shaking her head.

“It’s okay, it’s obvious that you are in a rush time.” The person says while adjusting her cap. “Besides, aren’t you going to press the floor?”

The reminder of the eventful meeting she is going to attend has made her reacting out of her cool again. “Oh my God you’re right!” She plunges forward and presses the glowing numbers hastily before she retracts back to lean on the metal wall.

They remain silent throughout their way inside the lift after that. She sighs while shifting her hands a bit to comfortably handle her stuff, trying to safely keep anything in her grip when she draws back. Now, she can feel her feet throb with an increasing pain as she has given it so much pressure in the past hours for dealing with her lateness.

Why the heck did they decide to hold a meeting on 12 floors when it doesn’t even nine yet?

Running around in high heels isn’t something she would be looking forward as she highly ever did it again in her entire life as well as her next life.

Joohyun glances to her side and quietly inspects the slim figure of this brown-haired person whom a minute ago, being the victim of her killer heels. Unlike herself who dressed formally, this person seems out of place for only supporting a way too casual one, black jacket over a white T-shirt, baby blue ripped jeans and a pair of sneakers. Joohyun still has her eyes planted on her side-figure, mentally questioning the girl when suddenly the latter turns to face her yet again.

“If you really bent on saying sorry again, then I suggest you not to because it’s been four times you said it out loud and yes, I’m counting.”

Joohyun quickly apologizes. “I’m sorry!”

“There you go again.”

To her surprise, it doesn’t sound like she is annoyed by the constantly repeated mistake Joohyun did, but merely harmless teasing your friend tends to do to mess up with you. She watches as the girl’s lips stretch into a childlike smile thus Joohyun only realizes it just now that the person looks so young for anyone who works in this place. She doesn’t even remember seeing her around here either, now as she thinks of it.

Joohyun blinks as she suddenly catches a sight of the brown map the girl has carried entire time.

“If you’re going to HRD, then you should head towards the 4^th floor.”

One thing that comes to her mind as the reason for her presence here is to find a job. Yes, she’s probably a college student who is looking for some internship or something in this building where she is currently working in. Hence her chosen clothes and seemingly nonchalant behavior, has supported her assumption as well. Joohyun smiles approvingly, she is being her nice self-today.

She just can’t stand seeing this young girl who helped her earlier wanders around this huge building in lost for not knowing where the usual interview located. Speaking like a great sunbae that she is, Joohyun’s willing to help her as far as pressing the current right number. Oblivious to the lack of respond she gets from her companion.

“There you go,”

She retracts back and smiles. “You might need to wait until it reaches the higher floors before it would be able to pass yours because well, you have missed your destination,” Joohyun cues with her eyes towards the changing red number above their heads. “Or would you go out right away and use another lift?”

“Whoa. Wait…” The girl is finally able to respond when Joohyun has stopped talking. Hands already up with a baffled expression marring her face. “Why do I need to go to HRD?”

Joohyun stares back with a frown still creases on her forehead. “Aren’t you going to apply for a job? I think there is a slot for you know internship and that kind of thing?”

The person before her bursts into a laughter the moment she finishes reasoning out and it has pretty much shocked the hell out of Joohyun. The amount of laughter is overbearing and it doesn’t even cross her mind that this person would laugh in such an uncharacteristic but good way nonetheless.

The lift dings and Joohyun is ready to slip out any moment, remembering the reason for her sudden rush, which is being late. However, as she looks back, seeing that girl is still laughing her off, she has to fight the urge to pull out her ear for snubbing her—she thinks that kids these days are being too much lately.

But Thank God, that girl is already out before Joohyun finally able to do it and follow her lead in a few seconds.

“Err… are you okay?” Joohyun can’t help but ask, as she doesn’t spot any sign of her stopping soon. That figure’s face gradually turns red and it is partly the reason why she has to ask that question.

“Oh My God… I’ve never had any good laughs since a long time.” Joohyun clearly sees tears b in each of her eyes as the girl wipes it out with a grin. “Thank you so much.”

She finds it strange but chooses to shrug it off like nothing. She doesn’t want to judge again.

“Well, welcome… but your face is red so I couldn’t help but question your well-being.” Joohyun chimes later but when she catches a glimpse of time again, her feet have automatically jogged in place.

“Is that so?” The look on this stranger’s face is genuinely surprised as if she doesn’t believe it; well Joohyun will never believe her laugh would be sounded like that either.

“Where’s the restroom if I may ask then?”

“You can walk ahead and turn to the right. If I’m not mistaken, there would be a sign of the restroom.” Joohyun quickly explains. The restroom of the building is located in the same arrangement for the rest of the floors, as Joohyun has recalled, so she can point out without any difficulty. “I’m sorry, but I’m in a rush so please excuse me and see you around.”

She bolts out but stops in midway, approaching the still girl again. “Although it’s late, I suggest you to wear proper clothes next time because you know the judgments coming from those older employees are a bit subjective.” She throws a playful smile, eyeing her ripped jeans. “They don’t know about fashion and all.”

Joohyun continues before bidding her goodbye. “Hope your business goes well! Fighting!”

She lunges forward and with a quick turn in the corner, the woman has made her way speedily towards where her current destination—leaving an amused look on the other person’s face.

X

“Student? That’s new.”

Another subdued laugh.

“What a funny person...” She mumbles when the disappearing figure is no longer in sight. The smile on her lips never once falters as she can’t help but replay their odd encounter. It’s definitely not her first time hearing people mistake her actual age by the look of her face, and it honestly will either annoy or make her think less of them for treating and judging people easily without knowing the truth behind it.

But for a strange reason, she doesn’t feel annoyed for being mistaken as it is with her. And if she is being honest, she doesn’t mind her wrong judgment and finds it funny as well as refreshing at all.

She makes her way towards the direction of the restroom while noting the stillness of this place.

When she is about to push the door open as her eyes meet the sign of the place, her phone suddenly rings, indicating an upcoming call in a blast tone. She swipes her screen of the phone and strolls into the restroom.

“Hello...”

She greets while fixing her hair, scrunching her face in the process through the mirror as she notices her hair looked a bit messy for her own liking.

The man’s voice resonances and she hears him talk with growing annoyance with each passing second.

“Chill, oppa. I seriously have arrived with your car in a full shape, so rest assured.”

She can’t help but laugh silently as she runs her hand through her hair to gently comb it. “I’m inside a toilet and you know what? I don’t even wear a suit~ I will ditch the meeting for real.”

“...”

“I can take a picture of my current clothes as to prove you.”

She waits for him to respond and almost breaks into another chortle as he has guessed right. “You know me so well oppa. Great minds really do think alike.”

The woman walks to the corner and leans back, staring at her own reflection. He continues to blabber words and she only nods once in a while, holding a fit of laughter. “You know, I don’t really like dealing with people. Let alone to get stuck in a place with boring stuff to do. Do you know how easily I could get bored right?”

“...”

“And that’s why I really despise meeting. Conference or something similar to those words, you name it. ”

“...”

“Uh... Can I really pass now? No need to attend it? I promise I’ll not leave this building as long as I don’t need to attend one, okay? Just this time, please? I don’t feel like doing it.”

The man retorts back and she tightly clamps from bursting any laughter.

“And oh, I will send that gruesome brown map through the receptionist, alright?”

She waits until his long scolding dies down thus she grins and mentally jumps when she hears him letting out a tired sigh from the other side.

The call ends with “You will be the death of me, Kang Seulgi.” and she only stares at her phone’s surface, all smiling. That’s how she makes a good use of him who will never be able to say a ‘no’ to her wish.

Well, Kim Heechul is simply kind like that.

She pockets her phone, feeling satisfied with the way everything turns out. She exits the restroom while exhaling loudly before grinning to herself. “It’s time to wander around!”